Naruto - Unleashed
by Dreaming of the Phoenix
Summary: An ancient force is awakening upon the Elemental Nations for the first time in centuries. To aid in their quest they enlist the single most unpredictable shinobi, and a few others to aid HIM. Get ready for something a little different... I hope. Fem!Haku. ON HIATUS until I can recreate my lost notes.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** Okay... I got bored and decided to try this. I don't have any other excuse, I simply do, not, have, a, life. So here we go, once more into the grinder. This time I'm picking up the story from within the flow of canon. I will, however, be modifying the back story as I need to. For example, instead of graduating at the age of twelve, the genin are graduating at sixteen.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or Huntik.

**Chapter 01: Say what now?**

Uzumaki Naruto came to, from a deep, pain filled slumber. Which in his opinion was odd, because he could have sworn he was dead. That's what's supposed to happen when you take Hatake Kakashi's signature technique, Chidori_,_ to the chest, not once, but twice. Damn, that hurt.

That hurt a lot.

Slowly opening his eyes, he blinked rapidly to get rid of the blur effect of obviously being unconscious for a long time. Once cleared, he looked around himself to note where he might be. An absence of white walls and the scent of disinfectant told him it wasn't a hospital, that was different. A lack of light and the rock overhead made it clear he was in a cave... somewhere.

Looking down at himself he noticed the blankets covering him were actually cured wolf pelts, and he could see bandages wrapped around his torso, or what he could see of his torso. He also took note that he could feel the hide covers all over his body, meaning he was probably completely naked beneath them.

His mind waking into full consciousness, a few questions started to come to him; where was he? Why was he here? and perhaps the most important, in his humble opinion, who the hell was taking care of him? Because that person got a very good look at all of him, and he'd like to at least be certain they were female.

Naruto was many things, annoyingly cheerful, loud, and obnoxious being among them, but he wasn't stupid, or gay. He knew someone had taken his carcass in, treated him, seen _all_ of him, and while he was grateful, he would also like to know just who they were, and what _exactly_ had been going on while he was out of it.

Hearing a set of footsteps, he turned his head in their direction only to catch his breath at the sight. There, before his very eyes, was a person he had never thought to see again: Yuki Haku. And, much like himself, she was naked. The only difference being that she seemed to be coming from a bath, while he was recovering from his asshole team mate shoving a hand through his chest. Haku wasn't seeming to pay much attention though, she was drying her hair with a towel, which managed to cover her face just enough so he couldn't her eyes, but he'd remember that body anywhere. He had peeked on her accidentally one day in Nami while she was bathing in a small stream shortly after they had first met, and she had gotten a good look at him now... assuming she was his caretaker.

This didn't stop him from talking, though he probably should have feigned sleep instead. "It can't be. You're dead."

These whispered words of wonder and disbelief hit Haku's ears like a resounding gong, her head snapped up and she looked at him, a smile quickly forming on her face. She rushed over and dropped to her knees at his side, heedless of her nudity. "You're awake! Thank Kami, we almost lost you a few times there, Naruto-sama."

Blinking Naruto raised himself up on his elbows and stared deeply into her brown orbs, ignoring the suddenly respectful suffix, he attended to the other pressing side of her statement. "We?"

Haku's smile never faded, and she nodded vigorously before making a gesture to his right, away from her. Looking in the direction indicated, Naruto's breath caught in his throat again, for laying there was none other than one of his old classmates, Hyuuga Hinata, and her sensei, Yuhi Kurenai. Both of whom were spread out under their own sets of furs.

What in the world were they doing here? Last he knew Team Eight had been on mandatory leave due to Hinata's brush with death, and following heart problems. Hell, from what he heard from Neji while chasing after Sasuke, Hinata was considered a throw-away in the Hyuuga Clan, not even worth branding with their Byakugan-sealing Juin-jutsu (Cursed Seal). The Hyuuga Elder Council thought her so weak and pathetic that she wouldn't even be useable to breed working Byakugan should she have been captured, so they tossed her out on the streets where Kurenai-sensei had found her, and took her in. As far as Neji knew, and thus as far as Naruto knew, Hyuuga Hiashi, Hinata's father, wasn't even aware of what the Elders had done.

Giving voice to his thoughts, Naruto received yet another smile from the supposed-to-be-dead kunoichi. "They thought to kill her, by sending her into the field after you. In her weakened condition there was little doubt she would die of heart failure. Kurenai-san followed her, on the Hokage's permission, to at least make sure to bring her home. However, when Sasuke-san threw your body into the river after your fight, Hinata jumped in after you. She was determined to either save you, or die with you, and Kurenai followed her to see to it that death was not the end result. That, was three days ago. In these past three days I have managed to reverse much of the damage, her heart is no longer in danger."

Naruto lay back down and locked his gaze onto Haku's again. "But what about you? I saw you die, Haku, I watched Zabuza die beside your cooling corpse. How is it that you are alive, when I can even still see the scars from Kakashi's hand above your left breast? Speaking of which, you _do_ know you're naked, right?"

Haku merely nodded, still smiling, but doing nothing to cover herself. "I have no reason to hide any part of my body from you, Naruto-sama. Believe it or not, you saved my life that day, albeit by complete accident I'm sure, but it's nonetheless true for that. My heart had stopped, yes, but my brain had not ceased to function, and when you held me, I inadvertently absorbed some of your chakra, that red one you showed briefly during our battle. That chakra restarted my heart, and healing process, putting me into a kind of near-death state, like I had used on Zabuza-san, but this one lasted much longer in that my body mysteriously did not require breath. I crawled out of that grave about two weeks after you left, according to Tsunami-san who had been there to maintain the site. I spent the following weeks regaining my strength in her house, after which I went looking for you. I arrived near Konoha's gates shortly before you left, and decided to follow you, discretely of course. When I saw Sasuke-san throw you into the river at the conclusion of your battle, I ran downstream quickly to intercept. Pulling you three from the water, and winding up here, in one of Zabuza-san's old hide aways, was fairly simple. Though Hinata-san refused to return to Konoha without you, and Kurenai refuses to without her..."

She trailed off, obviously indicating that the situation was out of her hands. In any event, she was still without clothes, and though Naruto would admit to enjoying the sight, Kurenai's reputation for disliking perverts preceded her, and he figured that Haku probably wouldn't bother dressing herself again until he gave the okay.

Sighing heavily, Naruto put his hands behind his head, using them as a pillow. "No matter, that issue can be dealt with later. The matter of whether or not you're clothed, however, cannot. Please put something on, or I shudder think what Kurenai-sensei will do to me."

Haku rose immediately, and walked to another bed of furs, with a bag beside it. She pulled out a simple, short pink kimono robe that barely covered her, and left practically nothing to his imagination. Of course, since he had seen it all anyway, he didn't need to imagine, but that wasn't the point. He was recovering from two highly charged fists to his torso, the last one obscenely close to where his heart lay. If she continued her obvious advances like this, he wasn't certain he'd actually recover.

Turning around, she returned to her kneeling position at his side, gentle smile still in place. "Is this better, Naruto-sama?"

Naruto frowned. "You can drop the false act, Haku. I know a mask when I see one. I wore one for years, and while yours is good, it isn't that good."

The smile vanished, replaced instantly by a pathetically lost expression, filled with anguish and tears. "Then what should I do, Naruto-sama?! Zabuza-san was my reason to live, he saved me from myself, and I dedicated everything to him in return, becoming his weapon. Now he's dead, and the one man I feel I can turn to is denying my devotion! Please, Naruto-kun, need me, want me, _use me!_"

Haku fell into Naruto's chest, weeping hysterically. She knew there were different kinds of people out there. Those like Zabuza who were driven by a goal, a dream, needed that dream to live for, and if they ever achieved it they would need a new one. People like Naruto. Then there were people like herself and Hinata, those who needed others, bonds with those precious to them. She hadn't interacted enough with Kurenai to place where the woman was set, but Haku didn't care right now. She needed to be wanted, to be needed, to be useful. She molded herself into a tool, and now it was so ingrained into her that she couldn't live without another who wanted her.

Naruto's arms instinctively wrapped around the older girl's trembling frame, ignoring the pain from his injuries to give comfort to this broken and lost person, his first real friend. "Shh, it's okay, Haku. It's okay, I won't leave you, and I won't send you away. Shh, you're not alone anymore, Haku, I'm here."

He continually repeated these words into her ear, running one hand through her hair to help clam her. But it wasn't working, her cries just got harder, her tears came heavier, and her trembling increased. She was in desperate need, but Naruto was reluctant to say the words she wanted him to say. He was reluctant to bind her to himself, but there was no other way. Steeling himself, Naruto uttered the words.

"I need you, Haku. I want you with me."

**XXXXXXXX**

**Break**

**XXXXXXXX**

Naruto lay back under the wolf-skin blankets, wounds re-bandaged from Haku's impromptu breakdown. Said girl was pressed up against his left side under the same blankets, sleeping peacefully with a content smile on her face. The only thing to mar the beauty of her sleep, was a set of tear-tracks down each cheek, mute evidence of earlier.

He had to wonder something though... _'How in Kami's name did those two sleep through all that?!'_

It was true, Hinata and Kurenai had seemingly slept through everything, with nary a stir. Just how tired were they? He knew he healed fast, but with all the damage done to him, and from what Haku had told him, he had been out at least three days. In that time frame those two should have, theoretically, been up and about...

Unless something was keeping them down. He glanced again at Haku's sleeping features. She had medical knowledge, he knew she did. She was fully capable of keeping two exhausted kunoichi out cold so she could be alone with him, relatively speaking. The question became, _did_ Haku do something to Hinata and Kurenai to keep them out of it? Supposition was never certainty.

Naruto snorted quietly. Iruka-sensei would be shocked he even knew words like "supposition". His time playing the idiot really did embed him as a pathetic person, didn't it? He wondered if they were even looking for him.

Meh, screw it. He'd figure things out later. Right now he was going to get some more rest. Though his last thought as he passed once again into the realm of sleep was not one he would have normally.

_'I wonder what Hinata looks like naked?'_

**XXXXXXXX**

**Break - Konoha, Three days earlier**

**XXXXXXXX**

**"WHAAAT?!"**

This was the enraged cry of one Senju Tsunade, Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato. The target of her current ire? A tall, lanky man with gravity-defying silver hair, and his hitai-ate pulled down over his left eye, by the name of Hatake Kakashi. Said man was trying, and failing, to hide behind a short-haired woman in a kimono to avoid the blonde woman's wrath.

Gulping, Kakashi decided honesty was probably the only policy to get out of this alive. "I said I couldn't find any trace of Naruto or Sasuke. There had obviously been a battle, but the rain had washed away all scent traces, save for those on the stone. The only thing I could find, was one of their hitai-ate, which Pakkun declared was Sasuke's. Naruto's scent trailed into the river itself, and vanished down the stream."

Tsunade stood up, and leaned her hands on her desk. "What about Yuhi Kurenai and Hyuuga Hinata? The former followed the latter after a plot hatched by the Hyuuga Elder Council was enacted to kill the poor girl by forcing heart failure! They should have been there!"

Kakashi blinked. "I saw some slight traces of what might have been someone else's footprint on the top of the cliff. If it was them, the indentation indicated that they jumped into the river. I already sent some of my ninken summons down stream to see if they could find any further traces."

Sitting back in her chair with a sigh, Tsunade's expression turned slightly pensive. "You'd better hope they find something, Kakashi. The only reason I'm even here is because of that boy, and without him, this place feels even more stifling than it used to."

Kakashi came out from hiding behind the other woman, Shizune, the Hokage's assistant, and gave a small bow. "I understand, Tsunade-sama. If they find anything I'll report it immediately."

With that he turned and left the room, most likely to go where he usually did when he wanted to think, the Konoha Memorial for Fallen Heroes. His sensei, sensei's wife, and his former team mates names were on that list, and he quite often talked things out while looking at their names.

Back in the room, Tsunade sighed as she sat back in her chair. "Shizune, you know, I still really hate Konoha. First it took my family, then my lover, then my cousin Clan, and now it seems determined to remove that ball of sunshine." A look of desperation crossed the blonde woman's features, "Why, Shizune? Why can't I be allowed a little happiness without tragedy?"

Shizune crossed the room and placed a supportive hand on her teacher's shoulder. "I don't believe he's dead yet, Tsunade-sama. Naruto-kun will pull through, no matter what. We just have to be patient."

One of Tsunade's hands covered the one on her shoulder in silent thanks, her eyes landing on a form she had just finished filling out and approving personally: adoption papers for one Uzumaki Naruto to become Senju-Uzumaki Naruto. She was going to tell him the news upon his return, copies of the forms were already filed, and he was legally her son now.

She wanted her baby back. Naruto had brought so much light back into her life in the short span they had known each other, as if she really were his mother, that she felt this was a perfect way to repay him. She would become the mother he had always wanted and needed, and he would bring her joy.

Her thoughts as she sent Shizune to get some tea were hopeful. _'Patience. Yes, patience is key. He'll come back, I know he will. So long as we don't find a body, he'll come back. Back home.'_

**XXXXXXXX**

**Break - Present Time**

**XXXXXXXX**

_He was surrounded in a fog-like haze, endlessly running in circles, shadowed masks of every possible emotion rushing by on either side of him. Somehow, he knew that these masks were representations of the lies told to him over the years, all the deceit that his conscious mind accepted, but his subconscious immediately ignored. All he could was run though, searching... endlessly searching for something. He didn't know what he was searching for, but perhaps it was a mask that aligned with the face behind it? Someone to tell him only truth. Someone..._

_ THERE! A mask that had a head of long hair, and gleaming white eyes. It wasn't alone either, there, beside it, was another, also with long hair, but the eyes shone with the lightest of blue that could only be ice. And behind them was a third mask, this one with shorter, wavy hair, and glowing red eyes. All three were smiling, and there was no hint of deceit behind those smiles, they aligned with whatever face was behind them._

_ These, then, were the ones who would never try to pull the wool over his eyes, for whatever reason. These people would speak the truth, as they knew it, as they saw it. They would not deny him, they would explain their thoughts, they would comfort him in need, and help him should he ask._

_ These were true friends._

_ A woman's voice called to him, enticing him, entreating him. "These are your truest companions. You must learn to trust them as you do yourself. Trust and Believe, and I shall entrust myself to your call."_

Naruto's eyes snapped open, his breath came in gasps as he stared at the ceiling of the cave, his body drenched in a cold sweat. What the Hell was that?! He knew it wasn't real, but damned if he didn't feel it. He made to move his hands, only to discover his left was still held in a death-grip by Haku, who had once again decided to go with a casual nudity, assuming the lack of fabric his arm felt was an indication.

Okay, it was a dream, or vision of some sort. But that was nuts, the last time he'd had that kind of thing it was some time before the mission his team took to Nami. He'd dreamed of the first fight with Zabuza, and how badly it was going and that he'd need to shake things up if they wanted to survive. But that dream/vision was a hundred times less intense. That one had been like watching a movie play out, this one was as if he was inside both his head and not at the same time.

He looked over at the still sleeping Hyuuga. He had recognized the indicators from those last three masks fairly easily. White eyes, and long hair, could only have been Hinata. The ice-like coals of the second could only have been made to represent Haku, and the final one... well he knew two people with red eyes, but one was a giant fox, so obviously that one didn't count, so number three could only have been Kurenai.

Questions upon questions, and the only ones with the answers were knocked due to the sleeping woman beside him. Naruto rested his head back on the fur pelt pillow behind him, and just stared at the ceiling, thoughts and questions revolving through his mind rapidly. Dozens a time, and all of them were confusing.

This was not good. Was he just seeing things? Could it be a mere coincidence? And if it was, then why did he have a sinking feeling in his gut saying that it was all too true? And just why did this place feel so dark all of a sudden?

Wait, was that it? Was it the _cave_ causing this? The dream, the sinking feeling, the general sense of _wrongness_? Or could there be some _thing_ in this cave that was amplifying their baser natures? Their more primal instincts? If that was true, then they had move, they had to get out before one, or all, of them did something they might regret.

The only other thing he could think of was to find the source, and break it. Which was easier said than done. Primarily because Haku was now locking her legs together around one of his, thus any thoughts of getting up would have to wait until she was awake enough to let go. And Naruto didn't think that was going to happen any time soon unless he woke her. The problem with that idea was that he still vividly remembered the one time he tried to wake Shizune, and she tried to rip his balls off.

Not cool.

Well since his right hand was currently unoccupied... He used it to brush his sweat-soaked hair back from his face. Holding it there he noticed something that he could understandably have missed earlier; a ring, nestled snugly on his right middle finger. A simple enough looking item, it was just a white band with a blue gem of some kind wrapped in the middle.

The problem stemmed from the fact that Naruto didn't own any kind of ring. Why would he? He was a guy, and rings were supposed to be for either girls, or married couples. Since he wasn't a girl, and it was on the wrong hand, indicating it wasn't a wedding band, it shouldn't have been on him. Yet here it was, an elegant but simple ring, made of some kind of white metal, seemingly wrapped around a deep blue stone, and it refused to come off. Granted, without his other hand any leverage he had was minimal at best, but it still should have at least shifted a bit.

Nothing. It didn't so much as slide around his finger. Almost as if it had been grafted into place.

What the Hell was going on with his life lately? It was like, ever since that night with the Forbidden Scroll, everything decided to simply try pissing on his life. Trying to make it either as difficult, or as incomprehensible as possible. ... Try saying that ten times fast.

Sighing, Naruto just put his hand back down and closed his eyes again. Screw it. He was going back to sleep. He'd deal with all this bullshit later, if he even bothered. Uzumaki Naruto was simply not paid enough to deal with magical rings and three women that might take everything the wrong way.

Moments later the cave was echoing with the soft snores of three women, and the slightly louder ones of a single male. But in the midst of it all, the ring on Naruto's hand started glowing.

**XXXXXXXX**

**Break**

**XXXXXXXX**

_She was running, her heart was breaking, and she could feel tears running in streams from her eyes. Desperately, she searched, for an answer, for a person, for something that she couldn't identify. All around her was darkness, and the smell of blood, and cold. The sounds of splashing could be heard from her feet as she ran, but she preferred not to know what she was running through, even as it started getting deeper._

_ It was past her ankles now. Soon it reached her knees, yet her desperate run never ceased. She _had_ to find it! It was the only way to be saved! To escape this nightmare!_

_ The substance was up to her breasts now, and she could no longer deny what it was: blood. She was running through so much blood, trying to find her way, trying to find an island, or ship to get out of it, to not be bathed in it's scent any more. To be _FREE_. Her eyes sought frantically, hoping beyond hope to find something._

_ There! A small light, bright and golden, and seemingly reaching for her. Trying to help her._

_ She started swimming for that light, inadvertently covering herself with even more blood. She noticed the light taking shape, a man, with a smile on his face, willing to accept everything she had been through. Willing to save her._

_ Reaching up to grasp his hand, she found herself pulled up to stand on top of the blood, no longer to wallow, and discovered herself to be clean and clear of the taint. A fresh start, a new life, one where the only blood on her hands would be by her choice. Looking up she found herself becoming lost in the ocean-like pools of his eyes._

_ She was free, and she knew, that this man would do anything to help her from that moment on._

_ She heard a deep voice echo around her, "Serve. Serve and carry your chosen Master's burdens, and I shall be yours to call upon."_

_ She answered in a firm, yet gentle voice, "I already serve, and should my Master have burdens, I shall carry them with a glad heart. My body is his."_

_ "The bargain has been struck, the deal made. Together you and I shall serve and move the very heavens and earth should it be necessary."_

Haku shot into a sitting position, sweating heavily, and breathing harshly, her heart beating rapidly within her naked breast. She'd never had a dream like that before, but it wasn't hard to figure out the meaning behind it. Did she really feel that way when working for Zabuza-san? That she was going to drown in the ocean of blood he was creating with her help? And Naruto-sama, was he really like a second life? Well, he did revive her, even if he didn't know it or actively try for it, so she supposed it could be a brand new life.

This dream, however, was far too real. It couldn't be a simple subconscious representation. Something, or someone, induced it, forced it to the surface. She had heard of the Yamanaka Clan having abilities to enter another's mind, but there were no Yamanaka here. Which left only the possibility of some _thing,_ but what had that kind of power?

Having caught her breath, Haku looked down at the sleeping form of her new Master, the man she would follow and obey for the rest of her days. A man who had rescued her from death, and recently declared a desire for her to remain with him. Whether those were just words or not, didn't matter to the young woman, just that they were said with intention of helping her. In return, Haku would give him everything, her life, her devotion, and her body if he so desired it. She would do anything for her Naruto-sama.

A glint of white caught her attention, and brought her gaze to his right hand. More specifically to a thin white band on his middle finger. That hadn't been there when she stripped him, and from what she recalled, it hadn't been there when she had her breakdown earlier. So when did it get on Naruto-sama's hand?

And was it _glowing?!_ With further inspection, Haku determined, that yes, it was indeed glowing slightly. Why was a glowing ring sitting upon her Master's finger? When did it get there? And, most importantly, what was it's purpose in choosing to be with _her_ Naruto-sama!?

Glaring vociferously at the offending object, Haku reached over to remove it from it's current resting place. Upon contact, however, her mind was filled with images of death, destruction, and rampant war. She hastily retracted her hand and stared at the ring in mounting horror. Was it showing those kinds of things to Naruto-sama?!

A quick glance at his face set her mind at ease. There were no signs of stress, mental or physical. No indications of any kind of discomfort. In fact, there was a strangely happy smile playing about his lips that further set Haku at ease. Thus her thoughts became much more charitable, but no less jealous. That ring could communicate with her Master, even in his sleep, while _she_, his loyal servant, would have to wait for his waking.

Not fair!

A pout formed on Haku's beautiful face, but a devilish gleam was to be found in her eye. If she had to wait for Naruto-sama to wake, then she might as well make herself useful in the meantime. Rising from her position at his side, Haku made her way to the incapacitated forms of the two Konoha kunoichi.

Her Master liked these two, she could see it when they spoke earlier, the relief his face had expressed when he learned they were merely unconscious. So Haku decided she was going to make certain to bring them back to full health. She had already dealt with the piss-poor healing job that Konoha had done to the Hyuuga girl, but she hadn't done much more. It was time to finish her work.

And maybe add a little more... Unnoticed by Haku, a new ring glinted upon her own right hand, glowing with a slight emerald light.

**XXXXXXXX**

**Break**

**XXXXXXXX**

_She was floating, completely devoid of senses. She felt nothing, heard nothing, smelled nothing, tasted nothing, and saw nothing. Even her intuition seemed to have been turned off. There was simply no sensory input, and she found it soothing. It was nice to have nothing to worry about for a change._

_ The feeling of not having a care in the world was liberating. Without those worries and cares, she could just drift along, letting someone else decide what to do for a change. Like that person made of light at her side._

_ She giggled like a school girl with her crush on their first date as he reached his hand out to her, taking her slender hand in his own. He lead her around and around, scenes and images flashed before her eyes, of places she had ever been to, but always wanted to visit._

_ She could feel it, his care for her. His love for her. How he wanted nothing more than to give her the desires of her heart. Ah, she could name this man, she knew who he was. How could she not? She had followed him for years without notice._

_ A rasping voice echoed, filling her ears. "Serve. Serve and understand him, and I shall be yours to call upon. For we are those who must redeem ourselves."_

_ Her voice rang out, firm and sibilant. "I will. I will serve him, understand that which he does not, and advise. For he shall be my everything, and I shall give unto him anything."_

_ "Then we have an accord. Call upon me and I shall aid you, and together shall we serve in redeemed service."_

"Naruto-sama," the name was whispered through barely parted lips, before a content smile found it's way to them, and their owner drifted back off into slumber. She might not have him in real life, but she could have him in her dreams. She would serve, she would understand, and she would give him everything.

Upon the speaker's right hand glinted a new ring, glowing slightly with a crimson light.

**XXXXXXXX**

**Break**

**XXXXXXXX**

_She knew this dream. She'd had it a hundred-thousand times before. She knew it was futile to resist it's flow, so she let herself be pulled into it._

_Running, running, more running. All she could do was run. Run from the shadows that plagued her every step. Run toward that bright light in the distance, a light that represented hope. Thus did she run, surrounded by shadows, by hate and envy, by greed and malice, running ever forward toward that light._

_ Yet she could never reach it. Every time she got close enough, her determination faltered, and though she reached out with trembling hands, she could not bring herself to sully the beautiful light with her touch, and it would move ever further, drawing her on. And she would once again give chase, in an endless cycle._

_ But this time was different, this time as she approached that light and reached out, she actually took hold and hugged it close to her bosom. Silent tears cascaded down her cheeks at finally reaching her destination, her true desire, and she felt warmth emanate from the light she now held. A light that had a form exactly like a man she knew, a man she had followed and watched for many years._

_ And from withing the flow of the dream, she heard a humming voice call to her, echoing in her ears. "Serve. Serve and follow him, strengthen your Will to stand beside him, and I will be yours to call upon."_

_ She needed no such advice, and she answered in a firm voice, "I will. I shall forever follow him, for he is my guiding light. My beacon in the storm, my nest in which to rest my weary wings. I belong to him, now and forever."_

_ "Then you may call upon me, call my name, and I shall come to aid you, and together we shall serve."_

A smile of absolute love and contentment formed upon the dreamer's face, even as a single word escaped her lips, "Naruto-kun." Nestling further into her dreams, a soft sigh escaped her. She would serve him, she would follow him, and eventually she would stand beside him. She would allow no other outcome.

Upon her right hand, a ring sat glowing with a sky blue light.

**XXXXXXXX**

**Break**

**XXXXXXXX**

_Once again finding himself in that fog-shrouded dreamscape, Naruto was at least self-aware this time around. Casting his gaze around the shifting mists, he felt the sudden urge to see if the swirling eddies of smoke would react if he tried to dream-piss on it... A violent change in the coursing of the fog answered his thoughts._

_ A voice, soft and distinctly feminine, called out to him in whispers. "Redeem. You, my chosen bearer, must redeem the Titan of Betrayal, for it was not his choice to be used against his kind. Redeem my brother Titan, and I shall place myself at your beck and call."_

_ Well, who was he to refuse such a generous offer? Naruto had only one little problem, though, and he knew this voice was liable to be his only source of information, so he gave voice to his most pressing question._

_ "Lady, what's a Titan?"_

**XXXXXXXX**

**Ending Notes**

**XXXXXXXX**

Whew. A lot of questions here. Just what are those rings? What else is Haku going to do to the unconscious Hinata and Kurenai? You'll just have to stick around to find out, won't you?

Like I said at the begining, I was bored when I started this, and originally I was going for a Star Wars crossing... Look how well _that_ turned out, eh? This story is an exercise in boredom relief, or when my muse is feeling lazy like she has been lately.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Whoo, chapter two of the new sucker, and my muse hates my guts. *Shrugs* Oh well, what else is new?

**WARNING! SEXUAL SITUATIONS OCCUR IN THIS CHAPTER!** \- Just no sex, the warning is so you're prepared for heavily sexual content.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own either Naruto or Huntik.

**Chapter 2: Uh-huh, Wait, What?**

_Before Naruto's eyes a woman appeared. A mane of long blue hair with a white patch in front, dark skin, grey oval patches around glowing yellow eyes, a gold choker around her neck, a white blouse with red trim, grey dress, and golden shoulder guards.* However, little of her appearance mattered save the look of absolute shock and incredulity upon her features._

_ "Surely you're joking, my bearer. 'What's a Titan?' We cannot be so far removed from this world as to have been completely forgotten." Her voice was musical in it's disbelief._

_ "Ah, yeah. That's kinda what I'm saying. I've never heard of you people before." Naruto's response was instantaneous, and delivered in a deadpan. Seriously, Titans, whatever they were, weren't covered in the Shinobi Academy. Maybe old Sarutobi-jiji might have had a clue, but Naruto certainly did not. _

_ The look of incredulity slowly shifted into disbelief, then even more slowly into acceptance. If this world had no knowledge of her kind, then she could hardly blame her bearer for not knowing of them. However, she was incensed. How dare mortal man forget the ancient Oath?! She would simply have to lead her bearer, whatever his name was, to locations where he could discover most of the answers for himself._

_ This was not in her original plan. She had merely decided upon this man, as her abilities allowed her to see into people's hearts to their true selves. This man, this Uzumaki Naruto, at heart only wished to help others. He may have no problems reaping the rewards of his actions, but he never actively pursued those rewards. Thus his heart was as pure as she could wish for in her bearer._

_ With a sigh, she made eye contact with the young man before her. "My name is Arc, the Legendary Titan of Fate. Titans are the souls of powerful warriors from times ancient beyond your current comprehension. We were first called to the mortal realm by Lord Casterwill, a human we served with dignity, distinction, and honor. Later we were sealed away into amulets, to bond with new generations of humans, ones we would come to call 'Seekers'. These Seeker were then compelled to search the world for other amulets, and to bond with more Titans, and perhaps learn some of the ancient magics that were created by Lord Casterwill. Are you with me so far, my bearer?"_

_ Naruto's eyes blinked rapidly as he assimilated the information, then nodded slowly. "I think so. In short you're a spirit, a ghost if you will, but through the use of some kind of amulet, I could call you to help me, either in battle or for some reason of importance. Right?"_

_ Arc nodded her head, at least he understood. That was more than could be said of many of her former wannabe-bearers. "Yes, that is the short of it. We Legendary Titans, like myself, were the personal Titans of Lord Casterwill, and each of us was sealed within a ring. Well, except Overloss, but he's our boss, obviously he'd be an exception... I'm getting off track. You may have noticed a white ring upon your hand earlier. That is my amulet. By willing power to that ring, and calling my name, you can summon me."_

_ She lifted her hand, palm up, and an image of the white band on his hand showed in detail. So this was what allowed her to be called into his world? This small thing? Huh, that was kinda cool. The image shifted to another ring, this one larger and golden, with a large purple stone set in the center and what appeared to be two spiral horns protruding from the top end._

_ "This, is my brother's ring, Demigorgon, the Legendary Titan of Betrayal. However, despite his title, he is not inherently evil, no Titan is. For his bond with his original Seeker, a man whose name was stricken from all history, caused him to become like that man. It is for this that I offer to bond with you, to aid in discovering his amulet, and to redeem my brother in the eyes of all Titans. Will you aid me, Uzumaki Naruto?"_

_ Naruto's face took on a pensive expression. It was a chance of lifetime. To aid an entire race of beings that were the souls of great warriors, and redeem one who had been wronged? He'd be a fool to simply say yes, but he'd be a complete ass to say no. And if there was one thing that Uzumaki Naruto was not, it was an ass._

_ That was Sasuke's thing._

_ His expression shifted, taking on a more friendly one, a true smile making it's way to his lips. "I'd be honored to help, Arc. I'll gladly lend you all the help I can give. You're going to have to give me a starting point though."_

_ Arc smiled in return. She knew she had chosen aright, this young man would be the doer of great things in the future. Thankfully her ability to see into other's hearts also let her understand that she probably shouldn't give voice to what she had seen ahead for him, as he'd most likely do everything possible to prove her wrong, succeed, and doom this world at the same time._

_ The hand holding up the image of Demigorogon's ring now held the image of a large island. "This is Uzu no Kuni, once home to Uzushiogakure no Sato, it is there you will find That which can set you on the path. But be warned, Young Master, the island is surrounded by treacherous whirlpools, and almost impossible to reach by normal means. I do not know where you can obtain the information or ability to get there, but obtain it you must."_

_ Naruto nodded, his gaze fixing the image in his mind. Something few knew about him was that he actually possessed a photographic memory when he needed it, and he felt this was something he would need. "Okay, Arc. Oh, and as for that 'Young Master' stuff, you can just call me Naruto. I'm not really one for formalities."_

_ The titan giggled, holding one long-sleeved hand to cover her mouth. "I suppose you aren't, Naruto-sama, but unfortunately it is my way of showing respect to my new summoner. You're simply going to have to deal with it. Now, back to reality with you, we will talk more at a later time."_

Naruto's eyes opened slowly, registering a light source that hadn't been there earlier, a cheerful fire. Haku was kneeling before it, her back to him, humming away like she was utterly content with her life, cooking something by the smell of it... and once again she was completely naked. He had to admit, even if only to himself, that she had a very nice butt. Good legs too, shapely arms... GAH! He was turning into Ero-Sennin!

A bit of movement drew his eye to the other side of the fire, and subsequently his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets! On the other side of the fire were an awake Hinata and Kurenai-sensei, just as naked as Haku, sitting on their knees, legs spread just enough that he could see their vaginal slits, bodies covered in a sheen of sweat that highlighted their heaving breasts in the firelight.

_'Oi, oi, oi! What the Hell?!'_ Naruto's train of thought ground to a screeching halt, his mouth lolling open in pure shock. He knew that Kurenai-sensei must have an amazing body, if the way she seemed to flaunt it in that bandage-dress was any indication, but he had never hoped to see it for himself! And Hinata... she was just as developed as Kurenai! A little shorter, so her assets looked larger, but her skin was just as flawless as the other two.

Okay, he had to still be dreaming... right? There was no way Hinata would allow a high-born lady like herself to be seen in this way. Kurenai-sensei too! She couldn't possibly _want_ him to see her like this. So either he was still dreaming, or there was a reason he didn't currently know about.

With that thought in mind, Naruto closed his eyes, not that it stopped him from remembering every glorious inch of the women's flesh, gotta love that photographic memory at times, he cleared his throat, knowing it would gain their attention. "I'm terribly sorry, ladies, but if you wouldn't mind putting some clothes on so that the only male here isn't uncomfortable, I'd appreciate it."

He heard a bit of rustled movement, but nothing of clothing, as such he waited patiently. They must have simply put them to dry or something elsewhere in the cave. The patter of uncovered feet drew nearer to his resting position, and then the sound of flesh softly meeting stone.

Okay. Now what are those three doing? Opening his right eye a crack, he immediately shut it again when he found he was looking at a female's trimmed pubic region. This was getting ridiculous. He had informed them of his being conscious, and asked them to clothe themselves so he could at least sit up an partake of whatever it was that Haku was making over there. He'd dress as well, if he had any idea of where his clothes were.

A giggle interrupted his thoughts, and Kurenai-sensei's voice came to his ears in amusement. "You can look all you want, Naruto-sama. All three of us belong to you, so it's perfectly alright. In fact, we _want_ you to look, it makes us happy to think you like our bodies enough to ogle them."

Naruto's eyes snapped open in surprise and found themselves gazing up into Kurenai's ruby orbs. "Seriously?! But, you're always getting on Kakashi for reading that smut of his! You're regularly part of the mob at the hot springs that tries to kill Jiraiya! Why would you make this exception for me?!"

Another giggle drew his attention to Hinata's kneeling form, just beside Kurenai. "Because, Naruto-kun, we love you. Sensei and I have both followed you for years, unknown to you, or even each other, and we have decided to pledge ourselves to you. We will serve you in any way you desire, because we want to be with you, by your side, like Haku-san. Thus, there is no need for you to avert your gaze from us, and we feel no shame in allowing you to see us at our most vulnerable. We three belong to you in body, mind, and spirit."

Her words were sweet, her voice soft, and there was none of the usual stutter present. Naruto surmised that this meant she was telling him the complete truth. Which was utterly ridiculous! Why would Hinata and Kurenai-sensei follow him? For years, even?! If what she said was true, then why?! It made no sense to him, and he desperately felt the need for that answer. It might make all of this more bearable.

Giving voice to his thoughts, a sombre expression settled on Kurenai's face. "Hinata followed you ever since you saved her from a set of bullies as a child. Apparently your will to never give up, even in the face of horrible odds, inspired her to want to know you more. As for myself, I knew your mother, Uzumaki Kushina. She was my inspiration as a genin, her determination to become the first female Hokage was intoxicating, and I quickly became one of her most ardent followers." The woman chuckled a little, "I remember when I first told her, she bopped me in the head and told me to follow my own path, not hers. I took her words to heart, and started on the road to becoming Konoha's premier Genjutsu-user. When I learned she was pregnant, I was ecstatic for her, and thought I might be able to one day teach her child the same kinds of lessons I learned from her. Then came that horrible night, the Kyuubi attacked, and I heard Kushina-sama had perished in the battle. I was lost, I had so wanted to help her with the child. Then I heard about an orphan, a child who had lost his parents. Not unusual, given the circumstances, but his name stuck in my brain; Uzumaki Naruto."

She paused, making certain she had his full attention. She needn't have worried, his eyes were on hers form the moment she mentioned his mother. He knew so little about her, only what Sarutobi-jiji told him when he became genin, as per an agreement they had years prior. Come to think of it, Arc's ring was given to him that same night, from a sealed letter written to him by his mother a month or so before his birth... But then what was it doing here? He had left it in Konoha, in a hidden compartment in one of his bed's legs.

Oh well, that could wait. Information on his mother, or his own past, could not. He nodded, and eager expression on his face, even as he sat up to listen better, heedless of the sudden dark blush on Hinata's face at the sight of his bare torso. Kurenai's eyes never left his, even though she felt the sudden urge to take a peek at what was still hidden beneath those wolfskins.

"Once I'd heard your name, I just had to see you myself. I'll admit I was disappointed when I found out you have blonde hair. Kushina-sama's was red, how could her son be blonde? Then I thought about it a little, what if his _father_ was blonde? That would then account for the different coloration. So I followed you, whenever I possibly could, for many years. and I watched as you grew. The more of you I saw, the more your actions and mannerisms reminded me so much of Kushina-sama's. Finally I took my questions to the Sandaime, and he confirmed it for me. After that I worked even harder to become a jonin, so I could try to be your sensei when you graduated. It was not to be, though, as Hatake got you instead. I tried to get you switched to my team, but Sandaime-sama wouldn't hear of it. I tried asking why, and was threatened with demotion and time under T&amp;I scrutiny. It was almost like he was being controlled..." Kurenai shook her head, setting her naturally wavy hair to flying.

It was an enchanting sight for Naruto, who had to make an effort to keep his sudden arousal from showing. He knew they said they wanted him to look, but he wasn't willing to test the limits right now. He was feeling a connection with this woman, who had apparently tried everything she could to get him as her student, to try and give him the same kind of learning _she_ received from his own mother. This was a priceless moment for Naruto, and he didn't want an erection to ruin it.

... Okay, that was almost a bold-faced lie. He was checking her and Hinata out in his peripheral vision. He absently noted that both of them had shaved a design into the pubic hairs, though without looking at it specifically he couldn't tell what it was. Neither had any kind of unwanted blemishes, and their heart-shaped faces were beautiful to look upon. Their arms were slim, but toned with muscle from training and keeping fit, and their hands rested on top pf their knees, which were still open far enough to give him easy view of their crotches. Upon both of their right hands rested a gold ring...

Wait a second.

Naruto's focus was instantly pulled to the rings. Hinata's had a blue stone in it, while Kurenai's had a red one. Both rings were of different designs, Hinata's almost looking like a four up-swinging wings, and Kurenai's looked like three bands connected to the stone with two pincer-like protrusions at the bottom end.* Seeing them, Naruto couldn't help but assume they were more amulets, like his own Ring of Arc.

Unfortunately for him, Kurenai saw his sudden shift of focus, and spread her knees apart even further, a knowing smile appearing her face, and a teasing tone entered her voice. "Oh, Naruto-sama, are you wanting us after all? It's okay, none of us mind, you're welcome any time. In fact, we encourage it, Na-ru-to-sa-ma."

Her right hand slowly caressed it's way up to fondle her breast, while her left slid down to open the folds of her labia, showing that the earlier design he had noted was a perfect representation of his Clan crest. She sat there like that for a moment, just showing him everything, before releasing the hold she had on herself and began laughing. A full blown belly laugh, with tears in her eyes as she held her sides, barely able to take note of Naruto's flushed cheeks and averted eyes.

Haku and Hinata were just shaking their heads, while Naruto's face did it's best impression of a tomato, and his hands were forcing down his erection. She had played him, like a fiddle.. he suddenly wondered if she played a real instrument, or just liked screwing with men's heads. It wasn't really pertinent, but it did allow him to get himself back under control.

With an ineffective glare, Naruto said, "Okay, yeah, good prank, Sensei. Ya got me, now would you three _please_ put some clothes on? ... For that matter, can _I_ get _my_ clothes? This blanket is nice and all, but this cave is drafty, and I'm sure none of us are really very comfortable like this."

Regaining control of herself, Kurenai's laughter still rang in on as echoes in the cave. "Sure thing, Naruto-sama. I'm sorry, but this was just too perfect an opportunity to pass up."

She and the others rose and paced over to where Haku had gone the last time he asked her to wear something, each fishing out a short yukata and knee-length skirt. Oddly enough, each of them pulled out a different color; Haku held a rich emerald green, Hinata had a sky blue, and Kurenai picked up a crimson red. Kurenai reached back into one of the bags laying there, and picked out a white set of yukata and hakama, which Naruto could only assume she meant for him to wear.

Well, it wasn't orange, but it would be better than being naked.

The girl's put their yukata's on and Kurenai tossed him the white set,, which he quickly donned as well, feeling much better in the surprisingly heavy raiments. He'd ask where his actual clothes were, but he figured they were destroyed in the fight with Sasuke, damned prick, or the girls had burned them while he was unconscious. Despite many people's belief, he did actually listen to Ino once in a while, and he agreed that much orange was most likely an eyesore. But what else was a poor orphan, who couldn't access his mother's account that was left for him, supposed to do about it when the stores were civilian owned and operated? Go whining to the Hokage? Hell no!

Uzumaki Naruto had at least _some_ pride. Besides, he used it for training his stealth. After all, if he could manage to lose ANBU while wearing it, he could potentially lose anyone. And it worked... for the most part. He managed to lose chunin, jonin, ANBU, even the Hokage... how the Hell did Iruka-sensei always manage to find him? Naruto could have sworn the man was cheating.

Oh, screw it. Thinking about that in the past gave him a headache, so why start again now? The important thing was that he wasn't forced to wear that damned jumpsuit. Now fully clothed, Naruto took up a cross-legged seat by the fire.

Looking up at the women, he smiled. "I don't know about you ladies, but I'm hungry. What say we eat before we talk more?"

Haku immediately went back to the pot that was hanging over the fire, checking to make sure it hadn't burned while she was helping the other two prank Master Naruto. She paused briefly, thinking of him like that was becoming increasingly easy ever since that dream the night before. She glanced down at the ring now sitting on her hand, a gold band with a deep green stone and tusk-like protrusions.* She had agreed to the voice's bargain, could that be why she had no more reservations about serving Naruto-sama? Shrugging inwardly, she quickly looked into the pot.

Soon everyone was served a bowl of hot soup, thick with vegetables, and damn if it didn't taste good to the starving group from Konoha. Three to four days without food will do that, but it must be reintroduced to the system slowly, or it was literally possible to eat yourself to death.* There was no talk, no sound save for the silence that is a hungry person's greatest compliment to a cook, and if the red on Haku's face was any indication, she was enjoying the silent praise.

Several minutes passed, but they felt like hours, filled with content quiet and peace. It was a rare thing to be found for any shinobi, be they male or female, and so the four of them basked in it, the tranquility of the moment. However, all good things must eventually come to an end.

With a sigh, Naruto put his empty bowl down beside him and leaned his elbows on his knees."Haku, while I'm glad you're alright, and I very happy to see you again, you never answered one of my earlier questions. Where are we? You said one of Zabuza's old hide-aways, but that doesn't tell me much. So please, Haku, tell me."

Haku's face became a blank mask, "This is one of Zabuza-san's old hide-aways, as I said, Naruto-sama. However, the location is somewhat controversial among shinobi, and that controversy is the primary reason we are safe here." She paused to take a breath, closing her eyes briefly before opening them again and looking into her new Master's own eyes as she gave answer, "The western coast of Uzu no Kuni. A country that has been declared a No-Man's Land."

Naruto blinked as Hinata and Kurenai gasped in shock, and a little bit of worry. "Well, that's certainly convenient."

Haku's mask fell into confusion, clearly not expecting this response. "What do you mean, Naruto-sama? We are currently trespassing on what is perhaps the most sacred ground for the shinobi world. Why aren't you as concerned as the others?"

A sad smile formed on his face. "Why should I be worried about being in my Clan's original country, Haku? I am _Uzumaki_ Naruto, and Uzu no Kuni was the site of Uzushiogakure, which was home to the _Uzumaki Clan_. With this it's rather obvious, right? I have nothing to fear from my ancestral home."

Haku's jaw made intimate contact with the floor. She had heard his mother's name, but for some odd reason the names just hadn't clicked in her mind. Granted Zabuza was more interested in the fact that no one would dare to follow them to the island's shores, but the girl found herself feeling more than a little foolish for not having seen the connection. As Naruto-sama was her new Master, she should have dedicated more thought to his name and everything else she could find out about him, this was a major failing on her part. Though, to be fair, she hadn't really had that much time or energy to put a great deal of thought into anything more than "find Naruto-sama".

Though, now that she thought about it, it was so fucking obvious Haku almost wanted to slap herself for missing it. Zabuza had told her stories of Uzumaki Kushina, of how the woman was a devil on the battlefield, of how before she died she had been seen expecting a child... a child she had apparently named Naruto, who had blonde hair instead of the iconic Uzumaki red, but he was a devil on the battlefield too. She had felt his wrath firsthand, and knew she had only scratched the surface.

Kurenai had an amused expression as she looked at the young Mizu-born kunoichi. Really, there were reasons beyond who Naruto's mother was for Kurenai to follow him and offer herself that shamelessly. That kind of thing was so far beyond her usual personality that if her friend Anko had been there, Kurenai was almost certain that the woman would be trying to take credit for "corrupting" the Ice Queen of Konoha's dating scene. Kurenai was a serious woman normally, so her actions earlier with her body were so far out of the norm that she probably could have killed just about anyone who claimed to know her because their minds had shut down at the sight.

But Naruto's mind hadn't shut down, he had averted his eyes and gained even more respect in her opinion for his self-control. He hadn't let his guard down either, which was something most who claimed to know the young boy would say didn't even exist. He was labeled as a reject, a failure, a no-talent loser, yet she and Hinata had seen through the facade he presented to the village, and apparently so had young Haku. Kurenai was immensely pleased with both of the younger girls. They would indeed make fine life companions for her avowed Naruto-sama.

Kurenai's gaze shifted to the ring sitting snugly on her right hand. The spirit within, Araknos, and she had an accord; she would serve Naruto, aid him in whatever he needed from her, and Araknos would answer her summons to fight for her. It was hardly the ideal relationship to have with a summon of any kind, but for a begining it was hardly the worst, and they could always build on it. She wouldn't be trying for anything romantic, not with a spirit, but perhaps they could become more than business partners.

The woman did have to wonder just what Araknos had meant by having to redeem itself, and her as well. While she didn't know it's tale, she was uncertain just what she needed to repent for. It couldn't be that she had done something unforgivable to Naruto-sama, could it? She hadn't abandoned him, she had tried to adopt him dozens of times, and when that failed she made certain to leave fresh vegetables and other assorted foods for him to find in front of his door. She made sure that the owner of his apartment building didn't try to overcharge him, and she talked -Genjutsu tortured- to the teachers in the Shinobi Academy who tried to sabotage his learning into treating him fairly.

If that wasn't what she had to be redeemed for, then what could it be? Her task was to "understand", but this eluded her. What had she done, presumably to Naruto-sama or Kushina-sama, that required redemption? This question would bear further thought.

_'Wait, Naruto-sama is speaking again, think later, listen now.'_

"I needed to come here anyway. More specifically I need to visit Uzushio, or what's left of it. According to what I know, Mum never came back here, and there are many things that were supposedly locked away that can only be opened by Uzumaki blood. Mostly just documents, but it's document I need the most right now. Well, those and books on legends and myths." Naruto mused aloud, seemingly not noticing he was doing so.

Kurenai blinked. "Naruto-sama, just why would you need that?" The moment the question left her lips, her hand made intimate contact with her face. "Nevermind, of course you need those. We ladies arent' the only ones to have spoken with the spirits within our rings, are we, Naruto-sama? You spoke to yours, and it want's you to find something, something that can only be found here."

It was Naruto's turn to blink. "Well, damn, nice guess, Kurenai-sensei." He held up his right hand, displaying the ring. "You are absolutely correct. Arc, the spirit of my ring, has asked me to, and I quote, 'Redeem the Titan of Betrayal', end quote. ... Wait, I figured your rings had Titan spirits as well, but you've already spoken?"

Hinata spoke up from the other side of the fire, "Of course, Naruto-sama. Tao-san and I have agreed to do everything in our collective power to help you, to see you succeed, and we will allow no outcome but that which we deem is your wish."

Haku's was next with her comment, "Behemoth-san and I have a similar agreement. I will serve you, he will answer me, and together we will move the very Heavens if you so need."

"Indeed. Araknos and I also have an agreement, but he seems to believe he has the need to be redeemed as well. I serve you, he serves me, and together we act in redeeming service to you, Naruto-sama, for I failed your Mother after all she did for me. Now then, before you awoke we three discussed our individual conversations, and came to agreement ourselves." Kurenai's statement came right on Haku's proverbial heels, along with that hanging piece. In her mind, things suddenly clicked; she hadn't abandoned him, but she hadn't been willing to lose everything, like her status as kunoichi, just to help him anyway. She had failed, and thus she needed to be redeemed.

A nervous expression settled on Naruto's face. "An agreement? Between the three of you? Do I even want to know what it is?"

The women stood as one, and then lowered themselves to one knee, bent at the waist, speaking as though with one voice, "We are yours, to do with as you will. Your desire shall be our our most ardent wish. We are your shield, your sword, and together we serve you as our Lord and Master, until our dying breaths."

Naruto sat with a blank expression, his eyes empty but lids blinking rapidly, and his spine ramrod straight. This was not exactly what he was expecting, even though he felt he should have from their earlier display when he woke. Did they just basically give themselves to him as his personal slaves?! He had to have heard it wrong, or misinterpreted something.

There had to be _something_! Kunoichi don't just swear those kinds of Oaths like this! Unless... There were only a few possible situations Naruto recalled in which a Shinobi or Kunoichi might feel the Oath of Service was an appropriate response. The first aligned well Haku: the saving of their life, under extraordinary circumstances. He assumed the "revival" he had done accidentally would account for this. The second was when trying to right, or redeem, a wrong committed, either to the individual or the Family. Naruto guessed this is where Kurenai was coming from. She had mentioned something about failing his Mother, so that would make a limited amount of sense.

But, he could not think of any possible application that would endorse such a thing from Hinata. She came from a well-to-do Clan, she was the Heiress of said Clan, and as far as he knew he hadn't saved her life under unique circumstances. Then that could only mean that she felt that she owed him a debt of some sort, something that insulted his very Clan, as he was fairly certain she had never insulted him personally, or anyone for that matter. So where did Hinata come in?

Naruto's mind whirled much like his Clan crest symbolized. Running in circles that slowly drew each other together, finding each and every encounter with Hinata and her Clan that he could recall, and viewing each with a critical eye, determined to find just what it was she wanted to redeem. His eyes lost the empty look and now moved about within their sockets, as if by moving they could expedite his search for answers.

Searching, searching, more searching... THERE!

A small, almost unnoticeable memory of an Elder of the Main Branch giving casual dismissal to everything Naruto had accomplished at the Chunin Exams recently, as the Kyuubi's work. Citing that there was no possible way for the 'Dead Last' to have defeated Neji, the Rookie of the previous Year's graduates, otherwise. Unfortunately for said Elder, there were ANBU present and the secret of the Kyuubi was still supposed to remain one. However, before he was carted off, one of the ANBU members, wearing a Neko mask, stated that no Youki had been detected during that battle. This lead to the Elder slandering Naruto's name, his mother, his father, and his Clan, before being dragged out of ear shot.

Could that be it? With the information on Naruto's mother, and therefore Naruto himself, could those insults have determined Hinata's decision? Unfortunately for the blonde, asking for the oath-taker's reason was taboo, so his curiosity would have to remain unanswered. Sadly for him, refusing these Oaths was also taboo, and thus he had no choice but to accept them.

A sigh exploded from Naruto's mouth as his head hung in resignation. "Damn, you women sure know how to put a man in tough spot, don't you?"

Floating in the air behind him, the astral body of Arc shook her head. _'My new Champion, ladies and gentlemen. We're doomed.'_ Now she just had to wait to see if the doom was good or bad.*

**XXXXXXXX**

**Ending Notes**

**XXXXXXXX**

*The Titan, Arc, look her up on the Huntik Wikia if you want a better mental image. She's not much for combat, so he'll rarely use her in that capacity. Her abilities include: mental communication with her Seeker, and Foresight. The latter of those two, she imparts to her Seeker by way of visions. 

*The amulet rings of Tao and Araknos. They are the Legendary Titans of Spirit and Mind, respectively. They are actually fairly easy designs, but Tao's can be a pain to describe. If you're curious as to why Kurenai received Araknos, it's because Genjutsu is ultimately the Art of the Mindfuck, which pairs well with Araknos' ablities.

*The amulet ring of Behemoth, the Legendary Titan of Body.

*This is actually true. If you've been on a prolonged starvation, you must reintroduce food to your system slowly, starting with soups preferably. Meat is a bad idea, vegetables are a must, but not meat as it's too "heavy" for the recovering stomach to handle.

*A "doom" in ancient lore is actually a kind of foretelling, a prophecy or destiny. Not always bad, or resulting death, it was still usually assumed to be unpleasant. In this case, Arc, whose ability is to see the future in images, is saying even she doesn't know where this will end.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** More? Okay, here's more.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own either Naruto or Huntik

**Chapter 03: On To... Whatever!**

Naruto spent the remainder of the day following the kunoichi's sudden Oaths to rest some more. He knew he'd have to start searching for clues and mysteries soon, but he felt that another day of rest would probably do him good. This idea was further impressed upon by both Haku and Hinata stating that it wouldn't for him to start moving around only to collapse later when he needed his mobility.

It was a good point. If he needed to be mobile, but wasn't because he pushed himself too fast, he'd just end up being either a liability or dead. Understandably, he wasn't really keen on either concept.

Though he pushed himself just once to summon his friend, Gamakichi, son of the Toad Boss whose people he had a contract with.

"You look like hell, Aniki." Came the blunt declaration from the red toad.

Naruto's response was quick and snarky, "Let's see how you look after two lightning-enhanced fists tear through _your_ chest, shall we?"

"Nah, I'm good. So, what'cha need, man? Ma's makin' Fly Gumbo tonight, and I don't want to miss it." 'Kichi nearly drooled, and Naruto couldn't hold back a grimace. Fly Gumbo? No thanks.

"Yeah, look, I need you take a message to Tsunade-baachan, telling her I'm fine, but I'm gonna need a few days out here. I'll write out my report on the Retrieval Mission for you to give her, so I'm at least not able to be accused of 'dereliction of duty' by those bastards on the Council." Quickly suiting action to word, he called for Haku to bring him a scroll and writing equipment. Filling in all the pertinent details, knowing that a full debriefing would await him on his return, but at least he could make sure his new grandmother-figure didn't worry needlessly.

Signing the scroll, Naruto passed it to the small toad, who immediately puffed away in a cloud of smoke. The boy then lay back down and let Haku fuss over him like a worried wife, and found it a pleasant experience. The blush on her cheeks when he mentioned it was of a red Naruto didn't think existed until then.

**XXXXXXXX-Break- Konoha-XXXXXXXX**

It had been four days now, since Kakashi had turned up and told Tsunade that he couldn't find a trace of Naruto at the Valley of the End, and set his ninken pack to searching. Just yesterday she had been forced to call him off the search, damned Council whining that it was "wasting resources to try and find the Demon Brat"...

They probably should have worded it better. Tsunade's rampage lasted a fair number of hours, and reduced the Council down to the Elders and Shinobi portions. In response the civilians seemed reluctant to put more of their own in the blonde woman's easy reach. Those that were eventually put into "office" on the Council were those who actually held no inherent animosity toward Naruto, causing Tsunade to ask where they had been hiding.

Their reply was given in a sheepish tone of voice, "Our cellars."

Right now, Tsunade could be seen sitting behind her desk, going through the motions of being Hokage by actually bothering to do her paperwork without the aid of saké. Poor Shizune had already attempted to dispel the Genjutsu through every known means, and had even tried a few of the more exotic theories, only to discover it was reality. The dark-haired woman was beside herself with both joy and worry as this truth settle into her mind.

Joy, because Tsunade was _finally_ taking her work seriously, and worry for the same reason. Tsunade hated paperwork, and work in general, with the same passion that Naruto loved his ramen. So to see her actually doing it, of her own free will, and without alcohol, was somewhat disturbing.

A sudden puff of smoke on top of Tsunade's desk brought both women out of whatever thoughts were currently running through them, clearing to reveal a small red toad carrying a scroll.

"Yo. I got a message from Naruto-Aniki for Tsunade."

In hindsight, Gamakichi figured that maybe he should have just said he had a message, dropped the scroll, and left before the blonde woman could grab him and start grilling him for information. However, hindsight is perfect, or so they say, and in this instance 'Kichi would agree completely, as he was being held aloft and shaken back and forth, unable to get a single word in edgewise against the blonde's incredible strength.

Finally the shaking stopped and 'Kichi sucked in breath desperately. "Okay... I'm pretty sure everything's in the scroll I dropped when you grabbed me, but yeah, Aniki's fine. A little beat up and tired, but he looked alright otherwise to me. Had a few good-lookin' women with 'im too. Now, I'm gonna be late for dinner, bye!"

With that he vanished in a puff of smoke again, leaving behind only the scroll that presumably held the answers they wanted. Opening the scroll quickly, Tsunade's face changed expressions between a myriad of emotions as she read. Shizune, reading over her teacher's shoulder just seemed amused by what was written down. It just all seemed so typical of the Naruto she already knew was beneath the facade, something she had seen through in the first few minutes of talking with him.

She used to use a mask too. Back when she was first informed of her uncle's death, and the subsequent pick-up by Tsunade, Shizune wore of mask of joy to cover her sorrow at the death of her last living family member. By blood, Shizune was an orphan, just as much as Naruto, but she'd had Tsunade whereas Naruto had no one. Or at least not that Shizune had found just yet, but she wasn't even a quarter of the way through Naruto's file yet.

That was a _very_ thick file.

Finally finished reading, Tsunade sat back in her chair, and began chuckling. "Only Naruto could get in such a predicament. Two Chidori to the chest, washed downriver, rescued by a kunoichi he had rescued by accident, then on the receiving end of a partnership with an ancient spirit or some sort, asking for his help in finding and redeeming one of her brethren, then that same kunoichi who saved him, along with two others, swearing binding Oaths... "

The chuckling continued for some time. It was understandable as it truly did seem like Naruto's kind of luck. Shizune couldn't help herself, joining in the laughter with her own small giggles. If it weren't for the sequence of events leading to it, the situation would be far more amusing than it already was.

Tsunade's laughter trailed off gently, "Shizune, call in Chunin Shikamaru. We finally have news about his last member. And get me Jiraiya! Only that little toad actually knows exactly where Naruto is, and if the brat wants that extension he has to actually receive my permission!"

**XXXXXXXX-Break-XXXXXXXX**

It took the four shinobi two days to find the wall that once protected the village of Uzushiogakure, and another day to search through what appeared to be the central command offices. Tsunade had indeed managed to get him the time extension, also using the same notice to recognize the three kunoichi with him as his personal vassals, but he only had two weeks, and four of his fourteen days had been spent trying to find Uzushio. Not really a problem, but it was approximately an eight day trek back to Konoha. As neither Hinata nor Naruto were fully recovered just yet, Haku refused to let them travel at shinobi speed, thus forcing them to a civilian pace.

However, civilian speed or not, they made good time and could spend at least two days searching for some kind of clue. They didn't have much, only that there was something in Uzushio. Something that could either lead them to Demigorgon itself, or the path to finding it. Either way, they would come away with more than they started with, which is why the group was currently scouring a discovered library within the central tower. Considering it had been hidden behind a blood seal lock and a now-empty bookshelf, it wasn't surprising that it was still intact.

Naruto was slightly annoyed. Haku had forced him to sit at the most immediately available table, along with Hinata, while she and Kurenai searched the shelves. Apparently the ice-wielder still thought him too damaged to even search the dust-ridden scrolls, so he and Hinata were delegated to searching through the scrolls brought to them for whatever seemed useful. That is, until Kurenai dropped a thick tome in front of him, amidst a large number of scrolls already pulled from the shelves.

Now, normally this wouldn't raise much of a fuss, but tomes had been out of use for nearly four centuries. Oh there were books, of course, but those tended to be small and slim. So for the woman to find this, it was an extraordinary thing, and the symbol on the front was one that Arc had implanted into his memory: an imprint of the Amulet of Will, which was said to be key to finding any Legendary Titan.

Fuck. It couldn't be simple, could it? No, now he figured that to get his hands on Demigorgon he'd probably have to take a circuitous route through the Amulet of Will. And since this book was obviously ancient, some of the clues were likely outdated. Not to mention the words within were of a language he had no knowledge of.

Then Haku dropped a mid-sized tome in front of him, and his head dropped on top of it. This was getting him nowhere, and felt like he would be here til Doomsday just to figure anything out. Why couldn't this Titan business be simple?

Naruto sighed, put the two books into a couple inner pockets of his current haori, a white long coat with black wave designs along it's base, and sighed heavily. There was simply too much that could be of use, to them or anyone else. This damned library seemed as though it was tailored specifically for information on Titans. There was simply no way to determine what was all needed now, and what might be needed later.

"Screw it. We've only got today, as most of the first here was spent just trying to find this damned room, then we'll have to leave to make our deadline. I don't know about you three, but I don't feel like being hit by Tsunade-baa because I'm late. Haku, Kurenai, how many Sealing Scrolls do we have?"

The two women thought for a moment, before Haku nodded at Kurenai, letting the older woman answer for them. "Ten, Naruto-sama. We could possibly take twice what is currently on this table, but not much more without needlessly weighing us down. We'd have to take the most immediate information. Assuming we could figure out just which scrolls were which."

Naruto sighed again, and gestured for her and Haku to begin sealing the scrolls away, while he leaned back in the chair he occupied. This was bad, he had only a little bit of knowledge on blood seals, and he didn't want to leave this library open for other possible scavengers in his wake, but did he have the skill necessary to rest the seal?

He would have to hope the answer was yes, because if it wasn't...

Wait a second... Naruto blinked as yet another idea came to him. Could he...?

Maybe... But he should wait on that idea until he was certain that he couldn't reset the blood seal. He nodded, "Alright, then let's start sealing away these and a few more scrolls, or even more tomes if you find them, and let's get out of here."

Kurenai and Haku nodded in return and while Haku went back amongst the shelves, presumably to see if any more tomes could be found, Kurenai began to seal away what they already had. Ah, the wonders of the female mind, when put together they didn't even need to talk before getting something done, they just got to it, each to their preferred task. It was something Naruto genuinely admired about the fairer sex.

Meanwhile, Hinata shifted around the table to sit beside him, letting his head rest on her shoulder and giving what little comfort her presence would. She had chosen to follow Kurenai and Haku in making that Oath, and she knew that any proper servant would simply give with no expectation of receiving in return. So that was just what she would do, and when the time came, and she felt herself capable, she would stand at his side, be it as servant or bride.

Though she preferred the latter, she also realized that she had two strong contesting kunoichi for the heart and affections of the blonde boy.

**XXXXXXXX-Break-XXXXXXXX**

While Haku and Kurenai were still busy sealing up all the scrolls they had already taken off the shelves, and another batch, Naruto and Hinata found themselves standing outside the front door of the tower, basking in the ambient sunlight of dusk. Naruto held the book that Kurenai had dropped in front of him, trying to puzzle through the mysterious language, when he stumbled upon a page near the end written in an archaic version of their own.

_When Blood calls to Blood_

_ When Blood is in need_

_ When Blood is freely given_

_ And the Oath is spoken_

_ Upon the altar of the Heart_

_ Blood may call upon the Spirit_

_ Shinobi and Kunoichi alike_

_ And aid will come to Blood._

At first Naruto was incensed that someone had desecrated this historical object, however the mystery behind the words stopped his initial reaction. Just what did it mean? When blood calls to blood, when blood is in need, when blood is freely given, and the oath is spoken...

And just what is that "altar of the heart"? Did it mean literally, or was it a particular place? Damn, but he was starting to like this Titan's business, the riddles and mystery involved was simply too interesting to ignore. Maybe he could even get Shikamaru's help? That guy was arguably the most intelligent in their graduating class.

Unfortunately, as he was musing, another group of ninja arrived, three from Kiri if the headbands were anything to go by. The two groups just stopped and stared at each other for a few minutes, both somewhat surprised to see the other. Then the Kiri-nin saw the book, and their faces took on a decidedly unfriendly set of expressions.

The middle one stepped forward a pace, "Listen kid, give us the book and everything else you found here, and we'll let you go. The Mizukage doesn't care about a bunch of Konoha-nin right now, so take the offer."

Naruto glowered, his blood begining to boil at the audacity of these grave thieves. "Not a chance, this is my Clan's home. I will not permit you, who have no right to this place, to desecrate it any further than you already have!"

The one on the right, the kunoichi of the standard group, snickered. "A blonde Uzumaki? I don't think so kid, but nice try. All Uzumaki were redheads."

the one on the lead held up his hand to stop the kunoichi. "Hold on a second, Ran. If the kid found something no one else did, despite the decades of searching, he must have done so from a blood seal. And if he could open one of those..."

The man's trailing sentence was finished with a sneer from the now-named Ran, "then he's true blood, one of the demons that called this land their home. Heh, if we bring his head back, you think Mizukage-sama would be pleased?"

The second man chuckled darkly, "I'm sure of it, Ran. Why, we might even get that promotion to Jonin for it. Besides, even if the boy wasn't demonspawn, the girl is. Look at those eyes, the byakugan of the Hyuuga, and no seal on her head means Main Branch. Mizukage-sama will certainly be pleased to destroy one of the demons of Konoha. Whaddya say, Kirimaru?"

Kirimaru shrugged his shoulders, his eyes never leaving Naruto and Hinata. "Undoubtedly Mizukage-sama would be pleased with both of them, or even just one, Rashi. The problem lies in where the rest of their team is. Konoha never sends just two out, it's always a minimum of three."

Naruto's growl was easily heard over the distance between the two groups, his right hand clenching hard enough to draw blood, his left placing the book back within his haori, and Hinata moving to support him. "I will not let you harm the land of my kin. I will not allow you to desecrate this sacred ground any more than you already have, and I will not allow you to harm a single a person with me!"

In an instinctive movement, he brought his bloody hand to his chest, directly over his heart, and placed it there, fingers splayed and blood dripping. "In the name of the Uzumaki, on my own honor, I will not allow it! I am Uzumaki Naruto! Son of Uzumaki Kushina! And I will defend the land of my mother's birth!"

A blinding glow of white power began to emit from Naruto, and unnoticed Hinata had mirrored his actions, bloodied hand and all, taking a similar oath to protect her beloved, glowing with her own violet light. Together their light melded into one, and before the two of them spinning objects appeared.

In front of Naruto was a small mask-like object with two long fang-like protrusions coming from the bottom, while a four-bladed shuriken-like object showed before Hinata. In tandem the two reached for the objects and the lights were absorbed into the items. The two teens looked at the items in their hands, feeling the life flowing within, and nodded. Together they called, and together were they answered as blood answered blood.

"Strike swiftly Shinobi/Kunoichi!"

Two lights came forth from the amulets they held, coalescing into two very distinct forms. The one at Naruto's side was obviously female, and before Hinata appeared a very male silhouette. However, over each of them seemed to be another shadow, as if lending the power of a spirit to the two summoned Titans.

Kunoichi wore a mask of four red eyes, and red and blue light armor with some yellow highlights. She had long, light blue hair held in a ponytail and carried a single katana on her back. The spirit hovering over her, though, had red hair and an incredibly pissed expression emanating from her blue-green eyes.

"Kaa-chan?"

Shinobi was clothed head to toe in grey and dark blue shinobi habits from the bygone era, and wielded twin katana. his face was hidden by a dark mask with two red-glowing eyes, and his hair was the same long and light blue as Kunoichi. The shadow hovering over this titan was one of a man with long black hair, hitai-ate in place on his forehead, and blank white eyes that spoke of protectiveness.

"Hizashi-ojisan?"

Naruto suddenly understood. Blood called to Blood. Specifically his blood called to his mother's spirit and she was reborn as the titan before him. Just as Hinata's uncle was called and reborn into Shinobi. This is what Arc meant when she said they were each the spirits of ancient warriors.

She was speaking literally! Each titan was imbued with the spirit of a warrior of legendary strength, and then bonded immediately to the one who called them. Blood calls to Blood, when in need, when freely given, and bound by Oath, he was allowed to call his Mother to become his protector!

He briefly wondered just who Arc was in her human life. A sharp pain brought him out of that thought train, and back into the moment. Right, he had to ...

Never mind, the Kiri-nin were already dead.. Holy shit.

Naruto stood there, blinking in shock. "Ne, Hinata. There were three Kiri-nin alive here just a moment ago, right?"

Hinata was just blinking as well. "I-I think so... I think I blinked and missed it."

"Well. Holy shit, that was fast."

The girl could only nod dumbly in response to her Master's comment. Really, there was nothing else to be said, it had literally been just that quick. Granted, if they were right the spirits summoned were of jonin, if not Kage, level, and the enemy had all but stated they were at most Tokubetsu Jonin, but probably chunin... But still! Three on two and it was over that fast... The swords of their summoned titans didn't even have blood on them, despite the perforated corpses laying at their feet giving silent testament to just how they were killed.

"Maybe we should clean this up before Kurenai-sensei comes and sees it?" Hinata offered a possible course of action. It was a good idea, if Kurenai was made aware of this attack she'd probably never let them out of her sight again.

"Before Kurenai-sensei sees what, Hinata?" Came a voice that they both dreaded at the moment. Turning around they were witness to the silent fury held within the crimson orbs of Yuhi Kurenai, and knew they were doomed. A woman's wrath was nothing to scoff at, and their new titans seemed more inclined to side with the furious woman than their summoners.

Traitors.

Then again, Araknos was standing behind Kurenai, the spider-like Titan imposing in it's silence, so maybe it was self-preservation? How the hell could she call on a Legendary already?! Then there was the ominous red glow surrounding the woman, and the two teens silently agreed: she was definitely unhappy, and they were possibly screwed.

**XXXXXXXX-Break-XXXXXXXX**

Kurenai's face never changed expression from a strange mixture of annoyance, disbelief, amusement, and ... pride? How did she... screw it. The answer wasn't worth the headache Naruto knew would be his true reward for trying to figure it out. So he simply filed it in his mind under "Odd Things About Women".

A rather thick folder, that. If he had been asked to write out all those odd things, he'd have to ask if they wanted it within the year.

The two teens had explained the situation and the resulting actions to the best of their combined ability. This generally meant Hinata talked, and Naruto filled in a few specific pieces from his newest hiding place: directly behind Hinata. He reasoned that while Kurenai may very well be his servant now, it was still wise to err on the side of caution. She was a veteran kunoichi, a jonin, and apparently his benefactor for many years. It was only right that he give her potential wrath his full respect.

So he hid, and answered her questions promptly when asked directly. It wasn't cowardice to save your hide from being tanned, it was self-preservation! A tactical retreat! A temporary withdrawal!

Okay, he was a coward in the face of a pissed woman. Plus, he had little doubt that Kurenai would indeed take him over her knee like a brat. Naruto would admit to many things, but spanking was not a fetish of his! Therefore he would gladly go to many different lengths to keep an angry woman from getting her hands on him.

"So, you spoke an oath, with your bloody hands pressed over your hearts, and these two showed up?" Kurenai summarized as she looked at the two ninja titans. If they really were the reborn bodies for Uzumaki Kushina and Hyuuga Hizashi, they would be powerful allies. but how did it really work? There had to be something she was missing, she just had no idea what it could be.

"Well... there was this light too... you had one a little while ago. A crimson aura flaring around you." Naruto piped up briefly to mention the strange occurrence. It wasn't every day you could see power practically pour off someone, since chakra was typically invisible to the naked eye. Well, unless one was a Hyuuga, but since Naruto had seen it too, it couldn't be chakra. Besides, the few times chakra could be viewed by normal eyes it was always a light blue in color, not white or violet or crimson. ... Wait, demon chakra was reddish-orange, did that count? Probably not, none of them were demons, even if Naruto held one within himself.

"An aura? I don't remember... oh," she turned to Araknos, who also hadn't been dismissed. She seemed to be speaking to it, but because Araknos didn't actually have a mouth it could only communicate through the bond. A few moments later, Kurenai was blinking in what seemed to be shock. "You have got to be kidding me."

Naruto shared a look with Hinata, even as Haku, all but forgotten in the moment, stood behind Kurenai with an amused expression. Apparently she found the whole thing hilarious. ... Good for her. Oh, she must have finished with the scrolls and whatnot in the library.

Kurenai rubbed the bridge of her nose in apparent frustration. "The Power of Will? Seriously, Araknos?... I know you didn't name it... No, I don't blame you, but whoever _did_ name it needs a course on naming things... I don't care if they're dead..."

It was like listening to only half the conversation... because that's exactly what it was. They could only hear Kurenai's side of things. Though over the bond, Naruto received an expression of amusement from Kunoichi. Why, he didn't know, but something must have struck the spirit of his mother as funny, and if the incredulous expression Hinata was giving Shinobi was any indication, Hizashi found it funny too.

A flash of realization hit Naruto like one of Sasuke's Chidori attacks. "My life's becoming a sit-com."

An instant later and he was tracing circles in the dirt with a dark cloud of depression above him. Maybe he should just crawl into a hole in the ground? That might save him, right?

Unlikely, but it would be a good attempt.

**XXXXXXXX-Break-XXXXXXXX**

Naruto found that he could, indeed, reset the blood seal that hid the library, adding a little more to a short report he sent to Tsunade as an update on their progress. However, just to make it even more secure he asked Kurenai to put an extra layer of genjutsu over it. Nothing impressive, more of a "you don't care what's here" thing. It was subtle, and unless you knew it was there, you most likely wouldn't notice it.

Or if you had one of those cheating eyes like the Sharingan or Byakugan. Those would see through it just as easily as anything else. So to hide the genjutsu they also replaced the bookshelf that hid it originally, then tidied up the room that shelf was in, along with a few others. It would be obvious someone had been there, but it would be impossible to figure out exactly what they had wanted there.

As they were walking out the gates of the destroyed village, Haku took point while Kurenai walked rear-guard, despite discovering just how tiring the summoning of a Legendary Titan could be when she finally got around to dismissing Araknos, Naruto and Hinata between them combing over the book. There had been more written in that archaic tongue, mostly about how the riddle worked. Naruto felt a little foolish for not reading further.

Apparently the blood used called to any ancestor willing to answer, and it would be of direct descent. Meaning a straight line of succession from the summoned spirit, to the summoner. So when Naruto called his mother answered immediately, but Hinata had called her uncle. Assuming the information, and their own suspicions, was true... that was not a direct line.

The only probable answer was that she wasn't Hiashi's daughter, but his brother's. This had Hinata wondering just how close her mother and uncle truly were. She remembered quite a few times in her early childhood when they had exchanged greetings that were barely longer than propriety demanded. Plus, if her uncle was actually her father, then what about Hanabi? They would be sisters through their mother, at the very least, but did they have different fathers? Was that why the Council disliked her? Did they know already that she might not be sired by Hiashi?

Unfortunately the only one who might possibly _give_ her the answers was Hiashi, and the man's pride was well-known. For him to acknowledge that his wife had been unfaithful to him, and he knew about it without doing anything, would pierce that pride like little else. It was quite possible that he would deny it just to keep his image... But the Elders wouldn't. Especially if they felt it would hurt Hinata more. She would admit they were dicks like that, even if she wouldn't say it out loud.

Hinata resolved to bring the matter up with her grandfather. The worst he and the other Elders could do to her would be to simply deny her. They couldn't even threaten to place that Caged Bird Seal on her anymore, since she was a recognized servant of Naruto, as was stated in the reply from Tsunade. Since the Hokage had acknowledged it, there was literally nothing the Elders could do legally. Her body was literally Naruto's property.

Not that she expected them to just let it go, but she could easily trump any legal actions they took. And if they tried any _illegal_ actions... well, she'd burn that bridge if she came to it. She had a long eight-day walk back to Konoha, and plenty of time to figure out just how she was going to approach all of this. If she got lucky, she could get the information she wanted, _and_ implicate the Elders in a conspiracy against a kunoichi of Konoha, which would ruin them politically and embarrass them publicly.

Not to mention it would be counted as treason against Konoha. Which would get them sent to ANBU T&amp;I for charges of sedition, and a few other things Hinata could probably drag up. If she could get into the Hyuuga Personnel Archives without their notice, she could even get her hands on their Financial Records, and see who all they had been paying under the table for illegal dealings. if there were enemies of Konoha in there, it wouldn't just ruin them, it would get them executed.

Why the Clan kept their personal information all in those Archives, Hinata had no idea. It seemed fairly stupid in her opinion. To have such sensitive information in a single location... even though the walls were reinforced, and covered in seals to detect chakra being used, and closed with a general blood seal... Okay, that last one made it a little safer, but not enough in her eyes. Any member of the Clan could gain access to those Archives, or just someone with a sample. Really, the ridiculousness of it all.

And the Elders wondered why Hinata disdained it and left the information with the appropriate peoples. Her financial statements were in the care of First Konoha Bank, and so on. She simply refused to put all her information in one, single, relatively easy to crack, location. A habit and idea she acquired from her mother.

**XXXXXXXX-Break-XXXXXXXX**

Stopping for lunch, Naruto pulled out his new amulet, and strung it before placing it around his neck. Following that, he sat in a meditative position, Arc's ring and Kunoichi's amulet glowing slightly. He had read in the book, after puzzling things out, that meditation could help increase his connection with his titans, and since one now held the spirit of his own mother... well, there was no way Naruto was going to pass up creating an even stronger bond with her.

Hinata decided to copy Naruto's approach, and meditated on her own amulets beside him, attempting to forge a stronger bond with Hizashi's spirit. She figured, if she could enter a dream-state like when she first met Tao, she might be able to verbally communicate with her uncle, and get some clues as to what was going on with the summoning. She still wasn't sold that he might be her father, but she wouldn't let that stop her from destroying the Hyuuga Elders. However, there is no child who does not wish to be closer to their closest family, and before he died Hizashi did act more like a father to her than his brother.

Haku took up sentry rounds, crisscrossing in a semi-random pattern to avoid possible ambush. They may still be in Uzu, but that was no reason to relax. The island had been safe for nearly two decades, a no-man's land. But Kiri had sent a squad. Kiri had renewed interest in Uzu. Therefore, Haku would not be lenient in her endeavor to keep her new Master safe.

_'No one will harm Naruto-sama!'_ Haku thought as she continued her self-imposed task. Her body was stronger than the others at this time, possibly because she hadn't almost killed herself in jumping into the fast-moving river. Though she also suspected Behemoth's intervention on her behalf. He was the Titan of Body, so it stood to reason that he could use his power on her from within the ring, just like Kurenai said Araknos could. And while Haku didn't know about Tao, she suspected the Titan of Will was fully capable of bolstering his bearer as well.

That was beyond useful in any ninja's life.

Kurenai meanwhile had allowed herself to sit beside Naruto as she put together some quick sandwiches. She didn't mind being relegated to cooking duty, she quite enjoyed the task. She had spent many a relaxing time in her kitchen just cooking, then she often found ways to put what she wouldn't eat into Naruto's kitchen, or she would give it to one of Konoha's poor-relief kitchens. She even bothered to make something for her old friends Anko, Yugao, and Hana every so often. Though with their wildly different schedules it was difficult to keep in touch with each other. Anko was second only to Morino Ibiki at T&amp;I, Yugao was in ANBU -even though no one was supposed to know that-, Hana worked odd hours at her Clan's veterinary clinic, and Kurenai was often busy with her duties as a jonin-sensei.

So Kurenai made certain to take any possible time to relax, and sitting beside her new Master while making a small lunch was a nice little respite from the rest of the day. Now if only this peace could stay, she would be a very content woman. It was too bad she knew better than to hope everything would remain calm.

She had read Naruto's mission history.

The D-ranked ones were fairly standard affairs, even if there were only thirty-seven, it was when she went past those that it started getting frightening. Well, there was that D-turned-B-rank, a C-turned-A-rank, two B-ranks, two straight-up A-ranks, and she could hardly forget his assistance was noted in the mission Jiraiya had to retrieve Tsunade... That was _not_ the kind of mission history for the average genin, it was more what she would expect from a seasoned chunin. Her Master's mission history made her wonder if the village had actually been trying to kill him under the guise of missions over the short course of his career.

If that were so, then heads would roll.

The snapping of a twig brought Kurenai back from her ruminations, and looking up she saw Haku returning. The older woman lifted her right hand in greeting, and received like in kind. The flash of a gold band on the young kunoichi's finger made Kurenai certain it was, indeed, her fellow servant. Well, there was that, and the fact it was still too soon for Kiri to have sent someone to find their missing chunin ruin-hunters.

It was a fair distance between the ruins of Uzushio and Kiri, a little more than it was between Uzushio and Konoha. With a bit of luck, and proper time management, they could be well within Konoha's patrolled borders before the Mizukage realized his little group wasn't coming back. Unless, of course, they were only the preliminary scouting party, coming in first to sweep for potential problems, and preceding a larger group.

Kurenai dearly hoped that wasn't the case, for if it was, she figured their chances of survival were slim at best.

**XXXXXXXX-Break-XXXXXXXX**

_Naruto stood amidst the swirling mists, across from him stood Arc and Kunoichi. However, this time Kunoichi's hair was red, as opposed to the light blue it was when she was summoned. Did this mean something? He hoped it did._

_ "Welcome, Champion. We've been expecting you." Arc's voice rang smooth and sweet, and as usual there wasn't even an ounce of doubt. Naruto quickly reflected that her ability to see potential futures could prove to be annoying later._

_ "If you have been expecting me, Arc, then I would suppose you know why I am here." He kept his voice steady, this was the only possible method he had to learn more of his mother, but if it didn't work he didn't want it to hurt as much. False hope was far better than none, even if disproved._

_ "You desire to speak to the spirit of your Kunoichi amulet, whom you believe to be your mother. I should warn you, Champion, the only reason this conversation may be at all possible is because of how little time the spirit has spent as a Titan. Now, I shall let her speak for herself." Arc's expression gave away nothing. No expectation, no surprise, no hint of anything in the slightest. She'd probably clean up at poker._

_ Kunoichi raised one hand to the mask covering her face, and slowly removed it. The slowness of it was taxing Naruto's patience, but he was determined to know. If this was indeed his mother as he suspected, he had to know for certain. Only then would he be able to hope for anything else._

_ Only then._

_ The mask came off, fully revealing the face behind it, blue-green eyes that could be easily mistaken as violet, and an impish smile upon the lips. There was no doubt, from the few pictures he had managed to find that was definitely his mother's face. The face of Uzumaki Kushina._

_ "Hey there, Sochi. Miss me?"_

**XXXXXXXX-Break-XXXXXXXX**

_Hinata stood amidst the swirling mists of her own mind, staring across at a man she never thought to see again. "Hizashi-oji-san. I find myself in need of answers."_

_ The man across from her folded his arms across his chest and nodded, "I may have those answers, but I doubt they'll sit very well."_

_ The girl shook her head, "I don't care at this point, I need to know." Hinata looked him straight in the eye, an expression of stubborn determination. "I need to know just how close you and Kaa-san were."_

_ Hizashi's eyes closed for a moment, and in that instant Hinata saw a flash of great pain. That brief moment gave Hinata a very good idea at just how close her mother was with this man. There had been a similar look upon her mother's face when they learned of Hizashi's death._

_ Hinata lowered her head, her bangs hiding her eyes. "I see. You two were so close, a forbidden level, but someone found out didn't they? It's no coincidence I look nothing like Hiashi, since I'm not really his child. Rather I'm born of my own mother's infidelity with the man who was supposed to be my uncle. Isn't that right, Otou-sama?"_

_ "Yes," Hizashi's answer came out in a low tone, but easily heard across the small distance. He remembered the nights he spent with his brother's wife, a woman that had loved Hizashi in return throughout their childhood. However, it was not to be as the Elders decided that she should go to Hiashi, a decision both she and Hizashi cursed every day from that moment. Now he was being put on the spot by his own daughter, a surprise to both himself and the mother, and he had no idea how this truth might affect the young girl._

_ "I see. Then there's only one thing I want..." Hinata's voice trailed off and Hizashi visibly braced himself for her inevitable negative reaction, only to have to change his strategy as the girl barreled into him, crying._

_ This was not something he was expecting. A slap to the face, a lengthy lecture, heck he'd even expected a kick to the balls. But a tear-filled hug? Not on the list of possible reactions. She _was_ raised by Hiashi, wasn't she? Shouldn't she be upset or horrified that her sire wasn't actually of the Main Branch? Just what was going on?_

_ It was at this moment that Tao made his appearance. Tall, bright blue skin, glowing blue eyes, wild hair in a light green and bound by a golden circlet, a floor-length light green skirt with a golden belt, clouds where his feet would otherwise be, and an odd-looking filament trailing from his arms, Tao made for an odd sight to be sure. The fact he had no mouth or nose simply added to the strangeness, yet seemed to fit hm perfectly. Hizashi had no real idea on how to deal with Tao any more than he knew what to do about the crying girl in his arms, but at least he could interact with the ancient being as one warrior to another._

_ "Ah, Tao-san. A little help?" Hizashi almost seemed on the verge panic, but that was ridiculous. A Hyuuga does not panic. "I have no idea what to do!"_

_ ... Okay, he was panicking._

_ And Tao... he was ... laughing? Yes, if the convulsions of the body were at all similar to those of a human, the spirit was indeed laughing. Rather hard at that. Terrific, an ancient spirit with a sense of humor. What next?_

_ ... In hindsight, Hizashi realized he shouldn't have even _thought_ that question. It never turned out well for the one who asked. Or those whose lots were thrown in with them, either by choice or association._

**XXXXXXXX**

Haku wasn't certain what had happened during her Master's and sister servant's meditation, but both came out of it wearing smiles and letting tears fall. She guessed that whatever it was, it was a good thing, as both of them seemed to carry themselves a bit lighter. Haku had taken note that both seemed preoccupied prior to their stop, possibly something to do with their first kills? Or at least Haku assumed they were their first kills, but the way the two of them stared the amulets that now resided on leather straps around their necks, she couldn't be certain. So she was glad when they both looked far better and more in the moment after their shared meditation.

"Nothing but a few squirrels and a badger within about five miles, Kurenai-san." Haku said, returning to her prior conversation. She had discovered a rather strong liking for the older raven-haired woman, and while she wasn't certain where it came from, she was glad as it lessened the possible tension between them. It would have been a great deal more trouble if they couldn't get along.

Lunch was a short affair of sandwiches and water. Taking a short extended rest period for Haku, who hadn't rested with the group, they then continued on their way. Before day's end they should at least be on the shore of Uzu no Kuni, planning to once again take refuge within the cave Zabuza had used as a hideout. There was only so much time they could waste, and each found themselves hoping that Tsunade sent them a little extra help.

Each of the women in the group silently swore one thing, if Sakura was among the possible reinforcements they would be keeping a close watch on her. She would never again abuse their Master, and should she attempt it they would be certain to see her regret it. They would see to it personally.

Meanwhile Naruto was contemplating the conversation he'd had with his mother. It was pleasant that he could at least talk to her, even if he couldn't actually touch her. He learned so much about her, from her, even in just those few minutes. Unfortunately it seemed that when he summoned Kunoichi, while the Titan was imbued with his mother's spirit, she would not act like his mother, but rather as a warrior ought. In other words, Kunoichi was imbued with his mother's will to protect him, rather than being his mother in truth.

Well, he supposed he'd just take things one thing at a time.

**XXXXXXXX- Ending Notes -XXXXXXXX**

Well damn, that was longer than I thought it would be. Nothing to really brag about, but it's more than I usually get in a chapter, so I'm happy with it. And that riddle ... Ugh, I highly doubt I'll ever use that hook again for a Titan. If I do, it'll be once per Haku and Kurenai. If you have any possible riddles I could throw into this for their search, feel free to let me know. Riddles, puzzles, conundrums, etc., so long as they are applicable and decidedly somewhat difficult to overcome. Hell, toss a me a couple simple ones too, or even a few funny ones. I'll need some humor in here or this will be far too serious.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:** Considering how rare it is to find someone who knows about Huntik, this story has been doing rather well for viewers. To that end, I thank you, my readers, for at least giving this a shot.

Now, I've been asked if there will be lemons in this story... I don't know yet, but it's somewhat doubtful. Please don't try to force the issue, if you do I'm liable to simply say no just to annoy you.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or Huntik. I could wish otherwise, but if wishes were horses, beggars would eat well. ... Hey, horse meat may be salty, but it's still tasty!

**Chapter 04: Now What?!**

Naruto's group made it to the beach without further incident, and once again took shelter within the cave hideout Zabuza had set up. Hinata took up position at the small fire they made for cooking and light, as Haku retreated into the back of the cave. What she was doing back there none of the others really knew, but they respected her obvious wish for privacy, even if Naruto could take a guess. He knew of only three things in the farther reaches of the caves; the first was a small hotspring and fresh-water spring chamber, the second was an emergency exit that was trapped with dozens of explosive tags. But Naruto was fairly certain Haku was engaging herself with the third option: Zabuza's armory stash, filled with scrolls, kunai, shuriken, senbon, and pretty much everything he found useful but couldn't lug around.

Zabuza was surprisingly a very thorough person when wished to be. Or rather, when it came to survival. However, this merely underscored just how little most people knew of the man who claimed the title Demon of the Bloody Mist. Most people simply assumed he cast the Kirigakure no Jutsu and silently killed his targets with his enormous sword, and while many times this was probably true, if that was all he did he probably wouldn't have risen to his rank of jonin, or lived as long as he did.

Naruto just plopped down on a small stool by the fire and took out the second tome that Haku managed to find. This one was labeled quite clearly in that same archaic version of today's tongue, stating _'Powers of Seekers, Volume One"_. From what he learned from Arc, because he was now her bearer, and a holder for yet another Titan, he could conceivably access the power of a Seeker, a type of magic she called "The Power of Will". There was no way in Hell Naruto was going to call it that in public, but it would give him a secondary source of strength to call on.

Or so he assumed until he read the first few lines of the book and discovered his power would grow like chakra did, through constant use and practice. Meaning if he got tired, his Will would falter, and he'd be just as screwed as he would be without chakra. Oh well, so long as it worked, the important thing seemed to be that Will spells needed no handsigns, so as long as he could focus and call forth the power, he could use those spells in combat fairly easily.

_"Hm, let's see.. Beginner Assault and Utility Spells, is this a Table of Contents? Alright then, first spell in the Beginner category... Augerfrost? Frost... An ice-type ability? Not sure if I wanna steal Haku's thunder, but it would be a shock to an enemy. Maybe I should check the B list first... Boltflare, combat spell with a utility use? Sounds good!"_

He settled in and began reading in earnest, Kurenai silently reading over his shoulder. She too was interested in the possible abilities she could wield as one of these "Seekers", so it made sense to read about them. This Boltflare seemed fairly straight forward and simple as well, it just required a bit of focus and one should be capable of bringing forth a sphere of magical lightning that cast light like fire would.

Simple in theory, a fair bit more difficult in practice... for Naruto. To his great chagrin Kurenai managed to get it on her first attempt, then spent the next hour honing it to the point where she could control just how big her Boltflare was and how fast she could launch it. To further annoy him Hinata watched Kurenai go through it and managed to achieve her own on her second attempt, before returning to cooking dinner.

Control. If it wasn't chakra control, now it was magic control. Naruto seemed doomed to forever be a technique tank, with his lack of control. Thankfully they had thought about the possibility of being seen from the outside, so they had put up a small genjutsu over the cave entrance to look like solid rock. So they were unlikely to be found by hostiles just because they were technically playing with fire.

At the end of that hour of practice, Naruto finally managing to get the damned spell to work properly, Haku emerged from the back carrying a small box in in her hands. Crossing over to sit in seiza beside Naruto, she placed the box down on the cave floor in front of her. She then just sat there, staring at him, as if waiting for his recognition of her presence.

So as to not disappoint her, Naruto turned to face her. "Yes, Haku? I assume there is something you wanted?"

The girl nodded, and slid the box a little closer to him, "this contains a few objects that Zabuza-san couldn't place a true value on. At the time I thought them little more than trinkets, but with what's been happening lately, I can't help but note a resemblance."

Slightly confused, Naruto opened the box. And stared in abject amazement. Laying within were several, no than maybe eight, objects that could only be the amulets of Titans! Zabuza had these all this time, and none of them bonded to him? Wait, something seemed off about that.

Once more making eye contact with Haku, Naruto took a deep breath. "Haku, I'm going to ask because I need to. Did Zabuza ever carry one of these wherever he went?"

It was extremely unlikely that not even one of the amulets had bonded to Zabuza. not impossible, certainly, but the chances were so low that they might as well have not existed. Though, if he didn't know what he had, those chances rose from nearly non-existent to about ten percent.

It looked like Zabuza hit that ten percent, however, as Haku just shook her head. "He thought about it, but then figured it would just detract from the 'Demon' persona if he was caught wearing any kind of jewelry."

Naruto exhaled a breath in relief, "I'm glad. This means we don't have to potentially do any grave robbing." Zabuza wasn't a bad man in Naruto's book, he simply lost his way. Easy enough to do with all the pressure of a life on the run as a Missing-nin, but Naruto still didn't feel like opening the man's grave just to retrieve an amulet. It would be beyond disrespectful to a man he had come to admire a little.

The blonde picked one of the amulets up, purposefully forcing himself not to bond with it, he simply looked it over. It didn't look special, just an odd mask-like configuration around a solid green gem.* His thoughts turned to just which titan could be within this particular amulet, and wondered if there was a way to tell without bonding. Shrugging, Naruto placed the amulet back with the others, and closed the lid.

"We can take a look at those in more detail later, I'm sure. Obviously I'm not going to take them, with Zabuza's death they belong to you now, Haku, as his only partner." Naruto said, his face softening with a small smile for the girl, who's face lit up with a pleased flush.

"I-I, I w-want to sh-share them, Naruto-sama." Haku tried to speak, but in her joyful moment, it came out a little stuttered. This reaction had Naruto blinking in surprise. Since when did Haku stutter?!

Naruto grew concerned on the instant, quickly placing one hand reversed against her forehead. "You alright, Haku? you don't feel like you have a fever, but you never stutter..."

The girl blinked and sat up straighter, unconsciously raising her right hand to her lips, "I don't know what you mean, Naruto-sama. I'm not sick, I was just a little happy."

But Naruto noticed it. That one incongruous thing that was off. Haku wasn't wearing Behemoth's ring.

He frowned and tackled the girl to the floor, quickly pinning her arms above her head. "Who are you?! What have you done with Haku?! ANSWER ME!"

Hinata and Kurenai started in surprise, but it was Hinata that voiced their shared question, "What do you mean, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto simply shook the girl under him again, "if you are Haku, then where is Behemoth's amulet?"

This brought the other's attention to Haku's hands as well, and finally they too saw that the ring was missing. Haku never removed that ring, none of them did. Each of the women saw those rings as part of their link and bond with Naruto, and as such refused to remove them.

The dark haired girl underneath Naruto started to shiver, as if in fear. "I don't know what you're talking about, Naruto-sama! Who is Behemoth-san? You're scaring me."

That little question cemented it in everyone's minds. There was no way that Haku wouldn't know Behemoth, he was her Legendary Titan after all. The two were bonded, much like Naruto and Arc, or Hinata and Tao, and Kurenai and Araknos. So that left one possible answer: someone had entered the cave, likely from the emergency exit, captured Haku, took her appearance, and tried to get them while their guards were down.

Naruto just made a half-ram sign with his right hand and pulsed his chakra that would dispel any low-to-mid-ranked genjutsu. A puff of smoke surrounded the girl beneath him, dispersing to reveal..

"INO?!"

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

"Ma, sorry about that, but we found Haku-san outside that exit of yours, and thought we'd see if you could tell if one of you wasn't who she claimed to be."

This explanation was courtesy of one Hatake Kakashi, Naruto's jonin-sensei. The man was still lazier than shit, and his teaching ability stank worse, but he was a true comrade to any who bore the sign of the Leaf. And apparently he'd had the completely asinine idea to "test" Naruto on his ability to tell his friends from potential enemies.

Yeah, the guy was dick like that sometimes.

Naruto just glared at the man, trying to light him on fire with his stare. It wasn't working. So Naruto pointed one finger in the older man's direction.

"Boltflare!"

A small orb of orange-colored lightning flew past Kakashi's head to impact with the wall, startling the man in question. Kakashi's head swung from the point of impact on the wall, which now had a small hole corresponding with the size of the sphere, to Naruto's finger, his one visible eye wide. However, despite his surprise he never moved from his cross-legged position.

"What was that?!" Ino shouted, voicing the question of everyone who had just arrived, which consisted of herself, Kakashi, Shino, Choji, and Neji. Each had wide eyes, for it wasn't supposed to be possible for Naruto to have a jutsu like that.

Assuming it was a jutsu, which Neji doubted as he viewed the hole in the wall with an active byakugan. Every jutsu left trace amounts of chakra behind, but that hole had nothing. Not a single trace of chakra, it wasn't supposed to be possible.

_'Of course, this is Naruto. Since when did the idea of "impossible" matter to him?'_ Neji thought with a wry grin. A short-lived grin, though, he couldn't let it be known that he actually had a sense of humor. Naruto would never let him live it down.

Naruto, in no mood at the moment to explain, gestured to Kurenai, who was quick to do so for him. "It's a technique called Boltflare. As you can see it's not truly elemental in nature, or at least not in chakra nature. It's a Beginner's ability that Naruto discovered in one of the tomes we retrieved from Uzushio."

Kakashi perked up, "did you say 'tomes'? True tomes? Those haven't been seen in centuries, and you found more than one?"

Kurenai nodded, holding up the first one with the riddle in it. "Yes, this is one of them. I wouldn't bother trying to read it Kakashi, most of it is in a long-ago language that we'll need to have translated by the cryptography department. The only reason I'm even bothering to look at it is to see if I can do any prior analysis to aid the department."

Well, that and apparently Araknos could read the ancient tongue, and was fully willing to translate for her. She just had to keep that quiet for the time being, as the Titan didn't want his ability to be known about to just anyone. Kurenai would tell Naruto and her fellow servants later, but they were liable to be the only ones she told.

Kakashi, who had indeed been reaching for the book, just sat back down heavily. "It's not every day such treasures are found."

"You said that was a beginner technique, right?" Ino asked Kurenai, who responded with a nod, "then he should give all those books and things to Sasuke-kun! He'll need the power more than Naruto-baka!"

Another Boltflare flew past Ino's head, close enough for her to feel the small amount of heat it created. Following the trail, everyone saw Naruto with his hand still outstretched. "Ino. For the sake of of our years together at the Academy, I'll overlook just how stupid you sounded just now. These are Uzumaki Clan secrets, and I refuse to give them to someone who is not only not affiliated with the Uzumaki, but a traitor! The only way Sasuke will get these secrets from me is over my cold, dead, and _decayed_ corpse!"

"B-but, he needs it more than you do! You're just a worthless orphan! No one cares about you! Maybe giving this all to Sasuke will make him want to come back!" The blonde girl protested.

"I am Uzumaki Naruto. I had parents, Ino, they just died the night of my birth. An orphan, _Yamanaka_ Ino, is simply one who has no parents or family to take care of them. In case you didn't know, that would drop your precious 'Sasuke-kun' in this category as well, since his elder brother is a Nuke-nin." He paused to take a breath and make certain he had the girl's attention, "The next point I will address is that Sasuke left of his own free will. Should he ever try to return he will be tried as a criminal, a traitor, because that's what he is. He betrayed Konoha for power, and cannot be trusted. Not even the Council can save him from receiving the Hokage's Judgment. Finally, as for no one caring about me... well , there you are wrong again. KUNOICHI!"

From within the amulet around his neck, directly next to the pendant he won from Tsunade, came a light that coalesced into the form of a lightly-armored woman with long sky-blue hair. She stood proudly, the four glowing red eye slots of her mask looking around at the assembled ninja as if seeking potential trouble. Seeing none she turned to Naruto and kneeled.

"Kunoichi, I need you to keep a look out for anyone not bearing the leaf emblem. Should you tire first, return." The titan nodded and swiftly left the cave, never bothering to take note of the utterly gobsmacked expressions on the five new additions. Naruto just nodded in satisfaction as he took up a seat beside the real Haku who had emerged from the back of the cave with the rest of Kakashi's group.

Together the two of them looked over the collection of amulets that Zabuza had stored in that small box. Naruto had asked her if Zabuza had kept an amulet on him, and she had reassured him that the man had not. Which was probably a good thing, if the man had possessed his own titan he'd have likely used it against them at the bridge all those months ago.

Ino meanwhile just sat there with her mouth open, unable to process what just happened. Shikamaru was marginally better off, he wasn't even trying. Shino raised an eyebrow, but no one really noticed so it didn't matter. Neji didn't care, he just figured it was one of Naruto's Kage Bunshin in a Henge. And Kakashi... Kakashi was out cold on his back in shock. It didn't last long, but for a few moments there was blissful quiet.

_"When Blood calls to Blood,"_ the words left Kakashi's mouth before he could stop them, instantly snapping Naruto's focus to the man. Of all the things he could expect from Kakashi, the opening line from the riddle he solved the previous day was not one of them.

"Where did you hear those words?!" Naruto hissed, fully glaring at he silver-haired man, his sudden standing posture one of pure hostility. It was improbable that Kakashi had heard those words before, so what was his jonin-sensei hiding?

Kakashi almost seemed to squirm under the hostile gazes of Naruto, Hinata, Haku, and Kurenai. He hadn't meant to let that little bit slip out, it simply had. With a heavy sigh, he finally capitulated.

"From your mother. She told me once that it was something the Uzumaki would teach their children. I always thought it meant that when one Uzumaki calls, the others would answer and defend them. But that, what did you call her? Kunoichi?" Receiving a terse nod in response, "that Kunoichi, I swear I saw Kushina's likeness shadowing her." The older man stopped and looked Naruto in the eye, "so you tell me, Naruto. What does it really mean?"

The boy just shook his head, the hostility draining from him as he sat back down. "I cannot tell you, Kakashi. Despite your time knowing my mother, you are not affiliated directly with the Uzumaki. But, if you must know something, then know this: Kunoichi is filled with the determination and will of Uzumaki Kushina."

Kakashi just nodded his head, obviously thinking about what was said, and all the possible connotations therein. There were many ways to take that phrase, and he doubted if most of them were correct. It was too bad that without Naruto's permission he couldn't take a look through those books. Clan secrets, and the possible theft of such, were not the kind of things taken lightly. The fact that Naruto was taking his own so seriously, made Kakashi both proud and worried. But he understood better than most, having been keeping his own clan's secrets his entire life, that there were some things you simply did not allow others to know.

The man was surprised then, when Naruto tossed him one of the strange objects from within that box he and Haku had been looking at. He was even more shocked to feel something bond to his heart from within the object. Unthinkingly Kakashi called out in a strident tone, "Bulregard!"

Following this call, coming forth from the amulet was a light that coalesced into the form a medium-sized dog, wearing a black and red tabbard with yellow outlining and a spiked red collar. The creature just looked at Kakashi, who couldn't help but look back. This stare-off continued until the dog decided enough was enough, and licked the man's face with a long slobbering tongue.

Kakashi could only sit there in stunned shock, drool dripping from his face even as the dog lay down in his lap contently. The man had not expected anything like this. He had expected to be shunned and left in the dark, but instead Naruto had thrown him one of the amulets within that box and awakened within him a new power, one Kakashi could already feel was going to need to be trained if he didn't want it to accidentally give him away. He was a jonin, and his natural experience in battle gave him an edge a genin wouldn't possess in the accumulation of power.

Kakashi didn't even notice his hand raising itself to scratch the dog behind the ears.

Naruto's snickers eventually pulled the man from his ruminations, "there you go, Kakashi. You can never say I didn't give you something useful. Bulregard is a bit lax for a Titan, but he's a powerful ally when his master's in trouble. I'd suggest getting to know him more."

Shikamaru's ears perked up, "Titan? I don't suppose that's a topic you can tell us about?"

Naruto blinked, and seemed to think about it for a moment, though he was actually asking permission from Arc. "No, no I can't actually. Not unless you also possess one."

The other boy shrugged his shoulders, "you mean like this thing?" He held up a dark gray amulet that looked a little like a fox head with a large blue stone.

Blinking again, Naruto felt the need to ask incredulously, "where did you get that?!"

Shikamaru yawned, "Dad gave it to me just before graduation. Said something about it being useful in tight situations."

"Have you bonded?" The blonde boy asked.

"If you mean, do I know it's name like Kakashi knows his, then yes."

Naruto just gave him an unbelieving stare. "Prove it."

Shikamaru sighed, "come out, Springer!"

The resulting titan looked a little like what Naruto suspected the offspring of a cat and a squirrel would, if either had two tails.* Gray fur covered it's body and the tips of it's otherwise white tails. Large eyes held a sense of extreme curiosity, and it's twitching tails indicated it sorely wanted to do something.

The pineapple-haired boy shrugged, "I play shogi and go against him when I need a real opponent who isn't my Dad. Little bugger hasn't lost yet, from what Dad's told me."

Naruto just sighed. It figured that the arguably smartest kid in his class knew about titans before he did. That just wasn't fair! Naruto almost died before Arc came to him, and Shikamaru already knew about them! Wait a second..

"If you already bonded with him, why do you need to know more?"

"Because he doesn't talk, Naruto. I'm hoping you know more."

"Oh." Naruto paused for a bit, his eyes blanking out as he talked things over with Arc. Coming out of his inner dialogue, Naruto started explaining what little Arc told him. "Springer, Meso-Titan* scout. Attack, One; Defense, One. A master of tricks and traps of all varieties. That's all I can say in the presence of those who do not bear their own."

He cast a significant glance at Ino who was eying Springer with stars in her eyes. The girl looked like she was just barely holding herself back from trying pet the poor thing to oblivion and was obviously not bothering to listen to what Naruto was saying. Springer, upon taking note of Ino's expression, squeaked in fear and quickly returned to his amulet. There was no _way_ he would allow himself to be molested simply because the girl found him somewhat cute.

Shikamaru snorted as he received a silent feeling from Springer to that same effect. "By the way, if you're bent out of shape 'cause I've got one, you should see Choji's."

Naruto's palm found his face, "do I even want to know it's name?"

"Undergolem."

Choji's reply had Naruto sinking to the ground in defeat as he began conversing with Arc again. She was incredibly useful with the amount of information she had on titans, as it was with her help he was able to discern that Bulregard was safe to give to Kakashi. Hell, she was able to tell him exactly what was all in that box, he just didn't feel like thinking about it right now. He was doing his friends a favor telling them what they held, and later would let the two of them peruse the lower-level spells just to let them round out their abilities, if only because Naruto felt it was the right thing to do.

Uzumaki Clan secret, the books may be, but these two were his friends, and if not for them Naruto knew his early life would have been a much more lonely experience. It was only right that he share _something_ with them after Shikamaru's mom had taught him his numbers and mathematics, and Choji's mom had taught him to cook.

"Undergolem, Litho-titan* warrior. Attack, Four; Defense, Four. Special Ability, Stone Form. Slow, but powerful, this titan is unrelenting in it's attack on an enemy, or in it's defense of an ally." Naruto's voice came out almost robotically.

Coming to from his talk with Arc, he saw Ino was pouting. "Why do you guys have one of those Titan things, and I don't? Daddy's never even hinted at having something like them."

"Maybe it's because he knew you'd go straight to Sasuke and show it off instead of keeping it quiet like we're probably supposed to? Seriously, Ino, that's why Choji and I never mentioned them before," Shikamaru drawled. He knew his team mate well, and thus knew that that was _exactly_ what she would have done. And if Sasuke had even hinted at wanting such a thing, Ino would have just handed hers over without a fuss, she was that far gone.

Her pout seemed to increase in attempted cuteness. Unfortunately for Ino, Shikamaru and Choji were used to it from growing up with her, the jonin didn't care, Hinata and Haku were girls and thus immune, Neji was with the jonin in simply not caring, and Naruto thought it looked funny. As such he started to laugh at her expression, causing it to vanish in the wake of embarrassed anger.

With said anger, Ino stood and began to stomp over to Naruto, only to suddenly stop as the atmosphere chilled rapidly. Feeling a sudden outpouring of Killing Intent, she saw Hinata, Haku, and Kurenai giving her the coldest glares that side of the arctic, with ice crystals forming in the air around Haku. Swiftly, Ino turned around hid behind Choji, which allowed the temperature to rise back to normal.

_"Okay, note to self: no attempting to beat on Naruto for making me look stupid. gonna have to tell Forehead that her favorite punching bag is off limits now.'_ The girl thought while still shivering with the after effects of receiving that much KI. _'Oh, who am I kidding? I'll enjoy watching Sakura get taken down by those three.'_

Hinata's voice reached Ino's ears like the ice Haku manipulated, "Ino, as Naruto-kun said, for the years together in the Academy I'll let one slide. _But,_ never attempt it again."

From her place behind Choji's bulk, Ino's head could be seen nodding vigorously. She didn't know where this new side of Hinata came from, but it honestly terrified her. Add that to what was coming off the other two, and Ino was well and truly cowed.

"Troublesome," Naruto muttered.

"Hey, that's my line."

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

Later that night, near dawn to be more specific, Kunoichi finally returned, her power running low, and thus needing to return to her amulet. Her return awoke the few who had managed to find sleep, and since they were going to move out at dawn anyway, they merely stayed awake. It would take several hours before Naruto would be able to summon her again, but he was certain that there were no enemies nearby. Kunoichi had assured him of that before dissipating.

That was something of a relief, even as Hinata summoned Shinobi to take Kunoichi's guard job. Unfortunately Neji saw the ghostly form of his father within the Titan, and reacted badly. Thinking it was once more the Main House subjugating the Branch, he immediately demanded to know why Hinata was disturbing his father's rest. Apparently he hadn't been listening earlier when Naruto gave Kakashi that small explanation about Kunoichi and the "will and determination to protect".

Either that, or in his sudden anger he dismissed the thought entirely. Which was completely within the realm of possibility. Thus Hinata was forced to bring Neji aside so as not reveal the nature of her true relationship with him to Ino, who was still Konoha's "Gossip Princess". The only reason the blonde girl wasn't the "Queen" was because that was her mother's position, and Hinata shuddered at the impact the truth of her mother's relationship with Hizashi would cause throughout Konoha. While she had no care about the Hyuuga Main House in general, she would refuse to besmirch her mother's reputation.

For his part Neji was beyond shocked that his father had that kind of relationship with the deceased matriarch, and that Hinata was actually his younger sister. He instantly found the humor in the truth of the "nii-san" she had been attaching to his name for all those years. To say Hinata was shocked at seeing the brief smile of amusement on Neji's face would be an understatement.

Hanabi was another story, however, as she truly was her father's daughter. That piece of information had saddened Hinata for a time, but she knew there wouldn't have been a way for Hanabi and her to share the same father, as Hizashi had died two years prior to Hanabi's birth. Still, a half-sister was a sister, and Hinata still loved the younger girl. Even if she was a stuck-up little brat.

That was just how Hinata was, and Neji found it within himself to finally respect that kindness. For the longest time he had seen it as weakness or her being condescending, and only now realizing the she just did not have the ability to do talk down to others. She could, however, scare the crap out of him with one of those smiles when someone badmouthed Naruto, even before this little mission of hers.

People of the Clan found out the hard way that you simply do not insult Uzumaki Naruto within Hinata's hearing range, as she demonstrated in those moments a mastery of Juuken that was rarely seen. Otherwise, she was a meek little thing, that simply wanted her family to be whole. Such a terrifying ability. It was one of the lesser known reasons for why the Elder Council wanted to kill the girl, she simply scared them.

Go figure.

The remainder of the night passed quickly and quietly. Naruto and Hinata had spent their time helping Haku store as many things as they could within the Sealing Scrolls found in the armory section of the cave. If they were to leave, and conceivably not return for some time, it would behoove them to remove as much evidence of human presence as they possibly could. To this end the smaller, filled scrolls were then sealed within one giant scroll Naruto managed to find.

He found a few other interesting things, but those he would leave for another time. Mostly because he couldn't use them as things stood.

Honestly, Zabuza had actually acquired someone's Summoning Scroll, and he never signed it! Now Naruto had two problems with this item, the first being that he was already bound to the Toads, and he wasn't willing to give them up after the amount of help they'd already given him. The second being that he had no idea what this scroll summoned, as the images along the border that would normally tell him were so faded they might as well not be there.

Come to think of it, that might be why Zabuza never tried signing the thing. If you didn't know what you were getting, why bother signing yourself into a contract that you might not be able to get out of? While you could always hope for the best, the chances of getting a creature you could work with easily weren't really anywhere near decent.*

Naruto shook his head to clear it, even as his hand brushed against a new amulet that hung from his belt loop, a golden shield-like thing with a green stone. That was something else he had done, he and Haku had indeed split the amulets from that box among their own little group, more specifically they each picked up one of four identical amulets, while Haku and Kurenai had picked up a second amulet for themselves to even things up at three amulets apiece. That left one in the box that Naruto sealed up in that giant scroll.

When they finished, there was surprisingly only a few trophies left over from Zabuza's sordid career, and none of them were usable in either combat or to gain reputation. The items were either broken beyond repair, or simply a curio that the man had thought interesting and was unrecognizable as any one person's possession. Quite frankly Naruto had to suppress a laugh at the thought of Zabuza being such an enormous pack rat.

_'The things you learn about some people.'_

**XXXXXXXX- Ending Notes -XXXXXXXX**

*Yes, that is how Bulregard is spelled. That Titan is definitely a kind of bulldog in appearance, so when thought of that way the spelling makes a certain amount of sense. Bulregard is a Gaia-Titan, based on Celtic legend.

*Seriously, look him up. Springer looks like a squirrel and a cat had a kid. Even though he's apparently the kind of Titan that sprouted the Japanese legends of kitsune. Or at least, that's what he's supposed to be based on.

*Meso-Titan: tend to be the basis for the Native American legends of North and Central America and are often based upon spiritual powers and animals.

*Litho-Titan: tend to be the colossal Titans, forming the basis for the various golems around the world including those of European, Norse, and even Greco-Roman legends.

*Yes, I'm making a new Summoning Scroll, and no, Naruto will not be signing it. It is not going to be overpowered, and I'm not even certain what I might make it yet. I'll probably just make up a list of random creatures and then roll a die. As to what I'd consider decent odds on an unknown Summoning Scroll... 5% or better.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** Here we go, once more into the Breach!

On a side note, Dreamers, the community/author's team that Dreaming of the Moon (formerly Dreaming of the Horizon, aka Mr AnimeKidd) and I have created has now officially started. Check out my profile for the roster. We have quite a few amazing authors. Please, go check out the Dreamers Community, it has all of our members' stories in it.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own either Naruto or Huntik

**Chapter 05: Home Again?**

Tsunade stood in her office, staring out a large window that gave her a view of almost all of Konoha. Dawn, she didn't know why she was awake, or even sober, at this time of day, but it was here that she found the village was it's most beautiful. With the hope and promise of a new day, even mired in shadows the village could be a splendid sight.

A knock sounded on the door, and she turned, calling out for whoever was on the other side to enter. Opening, the door revealed her closest confidant and former apprentice, Shizune, and for once she was without paperwork! The blonde Hokage nearly had a heart attack at that thought, Shizune never showed up without more paperwork. But the younger woman was smiling...

"Congratulations, Tsunade-sama! You have actually managed to get through Sandaime-sama's backlog!" The girl was far too chipper for the early hour...

Tsunade blinked, "wait. What? You mean I'm actually caught up on the what the old monkey left behind?!"

Grinning, Shizune nodded her head emphatically. Tsunade just turned back to the view of the village with a worried frown. Sixteen years of backlog, almost seventeen, and she was done?

She had a bad feeling about this.

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

Naruto had Kakashi lead the way through the back exit, it would add an extra hour to their travel time, but everyone agreed that they'd rather take that extra hour than chance someone finding the cave easier because they left through the main entrance. As they were traveling, Ino's thoughts had taken a decidedly odd turn, for the better in her team mates' opinions.

_'Why did I act like that last night? It's not like me to want to physically hurt someone just because someone else made a valid point and embarrassed me a little. That was always Forehead's thing. So why did I try to hit Naruto? It makes no sense, sure I used to belittle him in the academy, but the Chunin Exams showed me how wrong the idea of him being a loser was. So why? Why did I try that?'_

Needless to say, she wasn't coming up with any answers. Her actions the previous night were completely unlike her, and the Exams _had_ proved to her that Naruto didn't deserve the title of "Dead Last" from the Academy. So what was going on?

Well her father always told her that "if something doesn't seem right, look deeper within yourself". This seemed to be the best idea, if not exactly the best _time_ to do so. Actually, now that she thought about, her parents had nothing but good things to say about Naruto, unlike many of the civilian populace, and despite her mother's title of "Gossip Queen", the woman had staunchly refused to discuss slanderous rumors concerning the blonde boy.

Could this be why? Could her parents have known the truth about Naruto's claim to the position of Uzumaki Heir? But if that were so, why didn't they tell anyone? The answer hit Ino like a sack of bricks: they couldn't. And there was only one person with the authority to force such a rule, the Hokage.

Ino wasn't a dumb girl by any measure, and she knew she was starting to cross into dangerous territory regarding her thoughts, but by this point she couldn't stop herself. The Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had -for whatever reason- declared and enforced a rule that no one could speak of Naruto's heritage or true birthright. That wasn't done for just any heir, but only for those whose parents were crucial to the village in some way and had acquired a large number of enemies that wouldn't hesitate to target a lone child in retribution.

Taking it step further, Ino then reviewed the name Naruto gave for his mother; Uzumaki Kushina. That was one any kunoichi who graduated from the academy would know, the Red-Hot Habanero. The kunoichi-only classes were even shown a single photo of the woman, simply because each notable kunoichi of Konoha was recorded to be shown to future generations, and Ino had to admit that Naruto had her facial structure, though the coloring of his hair and eyes were different.

Now blonde hair and blue eyes weren't necessarily rare in the Elemental Nations. The Yamanaka were simply one of a dozen different clans to sport such colors commonly. Those colors were even more common in Kaminari no Kuni, Lightning Country, though there they were usually more muted rather than the vibrant shades Naruto possessed. However the exact shade he showed had only been seen on the now-extinct Namikaze family, and there was only _one_ Namikaze alive during the time of Uzumaki Kushina.

Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage!

Ino was unable to stifle her gasp of shock, fortunately for her only Shikamaru was close enough to have heard her. The look he sent her way was warning enough: don't say anything. For him to give her that silent message meant he, too, had figured out the answer she just came to. However, knowing Shikamaru he'd had the answer for years now, and simply found it too troublesome to bother mentioning.

Smart-ass little...

Reigning in her sudden irritation with her team mate and childhood friend, Ino didn't have to wonder why he didn't say anything. First and foremost, he was a lazy bastard and simply knowing it was enough for him. Secondly would be the reason she herself had realized, that there would be too many potential enemies both inside and outside of Konoha that would love to take a pot-shot at Naruto. And third, if he did say something, it was likely to his parents who had warned him to keep his trap shut. He always was too intelligent for his own good, and preferred to hide it. In fact it was that same intelligence that was likely the reason for his promotion to chunin.

Lucky little...

Sighing softly, Ino decided it wasn't worth the aggravation, and tabled her thoughts on Naruto's heritage for later. She'd share her them with her parents when she got back to Konoha., and see what their reactions were. It was a safe bet that, whether she was right or wrong, it would be a memorable conversation.

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

The group followed the beach and quickly arrived at the point where Kakashi and the others had left a small skiff to get back across the gulf to the mainland. Naruto paused for a moment to wonder just how it was Haku had managed to get him, Hinata, and Kurenai across in the first place, but realized it mattered little. Besides, it was far too late be asking, for all he knew it was an easier trip here than it would be getting back, and he was _not_ looking forward to going through the whirlpools that surrounded the island.

Obviously the whirlpools were not impassable, because not only had Zabuza and Haku gotten across multiple times, but Kiri, and Kakashi's back-up team as well. The path through, however, was probably not going to be pleasant.

Pushing off, Naruto quickly took up position at the aft of the small vessel, he wanted to see his mother's homeland for as long as possible. While he didn't feel a deep connection with the land, there was something there, calling to him as if from across a great distance. He guessed it probably had to do with being born and raised in Konoha, a place of desperate ties trying to prove his own existence, part of his life's goals.

The Chunin Exams had finally seen to people seeing him for himself rather than the fox sealed within him, and it was a heady and intoxicating feeling of accomplishment. By defeating Neji, both in body and base philosophy, he had proved to many that he and the fox were two different entities. Then by sparing the older boy's life he had elevated himself from the demon that many saw him as, and became a young man, a human in those people's eyes.

He wasn't foolish enough to believe that he had changed _everyone's_ outlook on him, but it was a major victory nonetheless.

However, that did not change the fact that he felt an undeniable tug on his spirit toward the island he was now leaving. Perhaps he could claim the land as his proper birthright, and declare it inviolate? That way anyone found trespassing would be subject to international laws, and would then be punishable as he saw fit. He could even work out an arrangement with Konoha or the Daimyo for a contingent or outpost for patrols to protect the island.

The land was out of sight now, so he tabled the thoughts for a later time. looking forward, he saw the whirlpools that gave the land it's name. He also saw the narrow opening between two of them that was just barely wide enough for the skiff they were on to pass through if navigated carefully.

"Take a good look, Naruto. As far as I know that is the only such opening between the whirlpools," Kakashi said from beside the blonde boy, as he steered the small craft to take advantage of said opening.

"Really? It seems like such an obvious thing though, almost like it's a trap waiting to be sprung," Naruto mused, sending a shiver up Kakashi's spine.

"Please, Naruto. Don't jinx us," the older man had an almost begging tone as he said this.

It was too late for the warning, unfortunately, as three beings rose up from the sea just in front of the safe path through the vortexes. The one on the far left appeared to be a man from the waist up, with golden trident head replacing his left hand. Next to him was what looked like the neck and head of a giant snake or something, but the shadow below the water belied that image. Following that, was something that seemed to be a woman made of water.

_"Triton, Megladeath, and Undine."_ Arc stated, her voice echoing within the vaults of Naruto's mind. _"Summon me, Champion."_

Without question, Naruto raised his right hand, his new power flaring around him in a nimbus, "Witness the Futures of Man, Legendary Titan of Fate, Arc!"

Neji's eyes widened comically at Arc's title, and his lips quirked into a smile. Oh, the hilarious irony that the very man who had told him that Fate was what he made of it now carried the Titan of Fate! There was no way he would let Naruto live that down!

Naruto almost collapsed on the spot after Arc materialized. Damn that was tiring! Though Arc could apparently float upon the air... that was handy. Just like his natural stamina regeneration.

Arc's voice, when it sounded through the air to address the Titans before them, was crisp and cool, with no emotion evident. "_Brothers, Sister, I ask of you to move aside. My Champion must needs cross the vortexes to the mainland, for he must return to his place of birth if he is to continue the task I have set him._"

The Titans looked between each other, then the middle one, the one she had called Megladeath, responded to her in series of clicks and whistles. Arc listened to it, obviously not having any difficulty in translating. When the large Titan finished saying whatever it was trying to, she merely nodded once.

Turning around, she faced Naruto, "_Champion, stretch forth your hand, bond with one of the Titans of your ancestors, and you will forever carry the Spirit of your Mother's homeland with you. I urge you to accept one of these three, and choose two others to bond with the ones you do not. They wish to be of service to the descendant of our Lord Casterwill once more._"

Sighing in resignation, there was no possible way he would turn down the request she made of him, he motioned to Hinata and Haku to follow him. Jumping over the side of the skiff, Naruto applied the water-walking skill he learned from Jiraiya not two months before to stand upon the ever-shifting surface. He walked forward to face Megladeath, Hinata upon his right facing Undine, and Haku upon his left to face Triton.

Each held out a hand, making physical contact with their Titan counterpart, the Titans glowing and shifting, forming their individual amulets within each Seeker's hand. When it was done, the Titans were gone, and the three teens had new amulets which were quickly attached to either a belt-loop or placed into a small pouch.

Swiftly they returned to the small craft, Naruto because he was still a little tired from invoking Arc, who had yet to return to her ring, and the girls because they followed him. Another new Titan, making three in in as many days. Either this Seeker job was easier than he originally thought, or Naruto was about to be blindsided by a _really_ big problem.

Understandably, he hoped it was the former.

Setting the ship once more to pass through the whirlpools, Kakashi gently guided it past the obstacles. Once they made it through, there was a loud crashing noise, and looking back Naruto saw that the path between was now gone. Okay, so maybe he didn't need to make patrol arrangements after all, though he would definitely see about claiming the land as his personal property.

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

"There are times we must do that which we do not wish to."

These words left Naruto's mouth as he looked upon Zabuza's now stand-alone grave. They had been forced into a detour by a large wave and a sudden current that washed them up on Nami no Kuni's northern shore. Right upon it's _only_ northern shore, to be more specific.

Haku, Kakashi, and Kurenai were the first to awaken, and it had been Haku to determine where they had made landfall. This lead to Naruto feeling a desire to pay his respects to the fallen Missing-nin that nearly claimed the lives of Team Seven many moths prior. So there he stood, Haku by his side and Kakashi a little ways behind, looking at the large sword that was Zabuza's grave marker. The remainder of their group had taken up resting at the home of Team Seven's former client, Tazuna the bridge builder.

"You taught me that, you know. You and Haku, you taught me that there was far more to this life I had chosen than they ever taught at the Academy." Naruto's head was bowed to hide his eyes from view, "there are days I just want to curse you, and there are those I want to thank you for opening my eyes. And, if I knew you at all, I think you'd probably prefer I curse you."

Naruto's face raised slowly, his eyes bright with determination and acceptance. His stance shifted to one more in line with a man, than that of an uncertain youth.

"I'm sorry, I have decided to thank you. There were few enough who would teach me anything, and yet you, an enemy at the time, taught me something so valuable. So I thank you, Momochi Zabuza," he raised one hand to his head in a salute, "for everything you did, and for showing me the truth."

At his side, Haku mirrored her new Master's gesture. She loved her previous Master like a daughter would her father, but now she was bound to a boy only a year or two younger than her, paying their respects to a man who died as he lived: fighting. Yes, her former Master deserved her utmost respect, and only time would tell if her new Master would be of the same level.

Behind the two teens, Hatake Kakashi sighed. He refused to salute anyone, friend, for, or deceased, no matter how much they have earned that level of respect from him. He didn't even do it for the Hokage, past or present, so it wasn't going to be given to a former enemy. He, would however, admit that Momochi Zabuza had indeed taught Kakashi's genin-cell, Team Seven, an important lesson that day on the bridge. So, while he wouldn't salute the man, he had put away his otherwise ever-present Icha Icha, and given himself over to his own thoughts.

His team's mission to Nami those months ago had been the catalyst to bring his genin together as a real team. Despite the level of danger, the mission had been everything he had hoped for. His student had _finally_, after months out of the academy, started to work together, to see each other as comrades. And the sudden jump in teamwork had lead Kakashi to think they had bonded on level that would allow them to face anything and come away clean, if a bit bruised.

In his elation, and he'd admit no that there was some hubris as well, Kakashi had then gone ahead and nominated them for the Chunin Exams. He had thought that, together, they could succeed. That his genin students could breeze through and become the next Sannin, passing the exam with flying colors on their first try! It was supposed to be glorious, for them and himself.

He never cursed himself harder, than he did when he learned of Orochimaru infiltrating the Second Stage. The traitor had only one real goal that anyone could figure: to obtain Uchiha Sasuke, one of the genin of Team Seven. But the man had done so in a way none had anticipated: he'd placed a Cursed Seal upon the boy, one that seemed to twist the young Uchiha's mind to pure destruction.

Despite all obstacles, his team had made it through the Second Stage, and two of them, Naruto and Sasuke, had made it through the preliminary matches to get to the Third Stage. It was then that Kakashi would admit he made his next enormous mistake: he brushed Naruto's training off to focus on Sasuke. Kakashi had thought it was what his old team mate, coincidentally an Uchiha as well, would have wanted of him.

He had passed Naruto off to another jonin, one Ebisu by name, who would see to it that Naruto's basics, which were an absolute mess, were straightened out. Kakashi blithely ignored Ebisu's known animosity toward Naruto for being the container of the Kyuubi, and taught Sasuke everything he could in the one month break between stages. He'd even taught the boy his own original jutsu, **Chidori**, an assassination technique. It was Kakashi's firm belief that Sasuke was similar to him, and that the Uchiha child would never turn on his fellow Konoha-nin.

Kakashi had been wrong. Sasuke's drive for power and revenge had lead the boy to running from Konoha, and becoming a traitor in the process. It had been a heavy blow to the older shinobi, that one of his students would abandon everything just for the sake of revenge. The student he had lavished attention was the one to turn away from his teachings.

Kakashi had set out after the hastily-assembled Retrieval Team, as it had been termed, thinking of the irony. He had hoped to make the next Sannin, and had succeeded beyond his desires. Just like the Sannin, one had turned traitor, and the titled Dead Last had remained loyal, while the kunoichi of the team looked on.

It was then that his hope had changed to making it time to stop Sasuke and Naruto from killing each other, but it seemed his fate was to be forever late. He had arrived just after Sasuke had left, leaving behind only a scratched Hitai-ate and blood in his wake. And Naruto, the boy who reminded Kakashi so much of his own late sensei, was nowhere to be found.

The one-eyed shinobi was brought from his thoughts abruptly by a slight rustle in the bushes behind him. He casually reached into his hip pouch, glancing down at the metal plate attached to back of his glove as he did. Those plates were for more than mere protection, they doubled as makeshift mirrors when needed. And in this case his reaction was supported as the reflection in the polished surface showed someone attempting to sneak up behind him.

The person wasn't really doing a very good job, and their shadow in the metal was one of someone small. Kakashi relaxed a moment later, as Inari, the young son of their current host, came to stand beside him as quietly as the boy could. Apparently his attempt at stealth was more an attempt to respect Naruto and Haku's visit to a man who changed all their lives so much.

"He was a bad man, but he came to mean so much here," Inari spoke softly so only Kakashi would hear. "Like Naruto-niisan, Zabuza-san came to represent hope to everyone of Nami. We named the bridge after Naruto-niisan, but this cliff, this we gave to Zabuza. Do you know what we call it, Kakashi-san?"

"I don't." How could he? He hadn't been there for months, and he rarely bothered to keep up with world events. Even areas that he had been to, helped out with, or had some other tie to.

"Demon's Hope Ridge," the boy said, "that's what we call it. Because, this land is where a Demon found hope again." Looking up slightly, Inari caught the older man's gaze, "just like you can find hope again, Hatake Kakashi. Do not let despair claim you, do not wallow in pity, let yourself hope, for a better tomorrow at the least."

The jonin's gaze sharpened, "you aren't Inari, are you?" A small smile was the only response he received before the form of the young boy shimmered and vanished. There was nothing to indicate anyone had been standing there, not even footprints in the dirt.

Looking up at the large sword, Kakashi could almost swear he saw Zabuza's spirit looking back at him. The one-eyed man gave a firm nod, he had received the message. The spirit returned the nod, and faded, seemingly into the giant cleaver.

Hatake Kakashi had received the message. Now it was just a matter of whether or not he would heed it.

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

The entire party regrouped inside Tazuna's living room for the evening. They'd have to leave in the morning, but Naruto had managed to send a message saying they had been washed upon Nami's shoreline, and they'd be a little late getting back.

And that it wasn't their fault!

Tsunami, Tazuna's only daughter and Inari's mother, had served tea to help lessen tensions and ease relaxation. That woman was really too kind, and Naruto was certain that if he made any mention of trying to repay her, she'd just wave it off. That just seemed to be modus operandi.

Naruto figured he'd probably nominate the woman for Sainthood if she died in his lifetime.

"Alright, the good thing so far is that we haven't encountered any further Kiri presence. The bad thing is that, despite this not being our fault, Tsunade-baachan is probably going to be pissed," Naruto summed up the situation.

"Maa, you can't really blame her, Naruto. Three of her shinobi were thought to be dead, and one of them was more or less responsible for convincing her to take up the position of Hokage. I'd think she wants you to stay alive long enough to take the job from her, just so she can wallow in your misery," Kakashi said with his usual eye-smile. Sadly, he might just be right. Tsunade was nothing if not vindictive, Naruto knew that from just the short time of traveling with her to Konoha from Tanzaku-Gai.

"Kakashi, that may be true, but it doesn't mean she'll be any easier to deal with," Kurenai reminded him. As a woman herself, she knew just how miffed she would be if her subordinates didn't do as told."Though, I'll admit, she might be slightly more forgiving if we brought back some kind of souvenir."

Naruto perked up, "Hey, Tazuna-san! I don't suppose Nami has a special brand of saké that can only be obtained here?"

The old man looked at the blonde, seemingly thinking about the question. "A brand all our own? I thought you people were talking souvenirs?"

The boy smirked, "you don't know our new Hokage. She accepts three things in lieu of sentimental items: money, a winning lottery ticket, and saké. Since we're a little short on the first, and any kind of ticket we got her would instantly turn into a losing one the moment it touches her, saké is our best bet."

Tazuna stared at Naruto for a good few minutes, trying to see if the kid was pulling his leg. "Yer shittin' me."

"Nope."

"Ya gotta be."

"I'm not."

"Well damn."

"Yup. So, saké?"

"In the basement. Nami's own 'Tsunami Saké'. Don't ask about the name."

"Sweet!" Naruto hopped up and quickly made his way into the basement, only to stop and turn back to Tazuna with a one hand rubbing the back of his head. "Uh, where is the basement door?"

With a heavy sigh, the old man stood up and moved past him, "never mind, Kid. I'll get it."

"Awesome. Operation: Bribe Tsunade With Saké, is fully ready!" His fist raised in a cheer.

It took a moment, but Naruto realized that his was the only hand in the air. Slowly dropping his raised fist, he then turned into a dark corner and began moping. He had thought it was a good plan.

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

Later that same night, Naruto sat anxiously on the roof of the house, taking his turn at first watch while having Kunoichi out on patrol. It was a fairly peaceful night, no enemies, no bad weather, just the sounds of forest, lake, and wind. With a full moon overhead, it was a picturesque scene.

So why was he feeling so damned antsy? What could possibly be making him feel this way? Could it be an enemy that was watching him, despite Kunoichi's continued sweeps o the area? Or could the source be closer to him? Perhaps it was directly beneath his current position and the reason behind his volunteering to take first _and_ second watch?

Yes, that seemed to be the correct answer. More specifically, if he chose to look down through the window, he'd see the three fully naked reasons for his anxiousness asleep on three combined futon. Naruto had to wonder what kind of karmic payback this was, just what he might have done in a previous life to be both blessed and cursed with the willing attentions of three beautiful women. Three beautiful women who were no slouches in combat, and completely capable of defending themselves, or him, should the need arise.

Naruto was no fool, though, and he knew he'd only be able to avoid his "servant's" advances for so long before they'd likely corner him. Well, maybe not Kurenai, but Hinata had a look he'd only seen in Sasuke's fangirls before: the of absolute devotion, and possibly the willingness to rape him while he slept. It was more than slightly unnerving, and he couldn't even begin to guess whether Haku would join the Hyuuga girl, stop her, or just stand aside and watch, possibly waiting for her own turn.

He clung to one hope: Konoha. If he could just get to Konoha, maybe he could side track them with research on titans and amulets. It was his only possible chance now.

He was going to hide behind Tsunade if he had to!

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

In Konoha, Tsunade's head snapped up and a wide grin formed on her face. Shizune, taking note of the expression on her teacher, just sighed and said a silent prayer for the poor, doomed soul. Surely someone must be damned to Hell soon, if Tsunade was smiling like that without her saké.

The poor, unlucky bastard.

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

It was getting close to dawn and Naruto was sitting at the kitchen table, having decided to simply remain awake after relinquishing the watch to Kakashi. He wasn't alone though, as for some reason Tsunami had decided to join him with tea. Not that he was complaining, she was a beautiful woman, and as far as he knew she wasn't interested in "serving" him.

Okay, it was that last item that made him comfortable. He had enough trouble with just three women trying to do something, he didn't need any more! If anyone else tried that damned oath he'd reject them, fuck the taboo!

He'd thought accepting Kurenai would be alright, her reputation as Konoha's Ice Queen was well known, her seriousness and attention to duty and detail just were just as well known. She should have been perfectly safe to accept such an oath from, but apparently she had a hidden side that no one suspected existed.

Hinata was a somewhat shy, slightly strange girl who'd had a crush on him for years, and he'd admit to a certain sense of perverse satisfaction in owning her, but it seemed like overnight that shyness had vanished. Now Hinata was more like Ino in regards to her confidence, as if by serving him, being _owned_ by him, was enough to change her... if that was so, he might have made a mistake in accepting her, but he doubted it.

And Haku... Naruto would admit he probably didn't know her well enough to make any kind of statements about her personality. However, he at least thought that she was the responsible type! She took care of Zabuza, for crying out loud! What kept her from acting like this with that man? The age gap? Whatever it was, it wasn't stopping her anymore, and Naruto knew her sights were set firmly upon him.

Sighing heavily, Naruto took a drink of his tea, he had spent the past several hours explaining the circumstances of the past weeks to Tsunami. The woman had listened attentively, even going back over some points to clarify them. He worried once when she wanted to know more about the Oath of Servitude, but was reassured when she said it was merely so she could understand.

Placing her own cup down on the table, Tsunami caught his eyes, "well, Naruto-kun, I have to admit it's quite the tale, but it also sounds like you." She placed one hand on her cheek, "I have to wonder why it is trouble just seems to follow you."

He shrugged, "I have no clue, Tsunami, but I really hope it stops."

A giggle escaped her at his sudden exasperated expression, "well then, I can only offer you this advice: take it one day at time, and say no until you all feel ready. From what you've told me only Hinata-san really seems bent on it, while Haku-san is willing whenever you are. Kurenai-san is difficult, though, she seems to be more playful right now, than serious." She saw a look of disbelief, "don't get me wrong, Naruto-kun. Kurenai-san is likely just as willing as the other two, but her actions seem more bent toward getting some kind of reaction, as if she's testing your resolve or willpower."

Naruto hummed for a moment, "so... Hinata really wants it, Haku's willing to wait on me, and Kurenai is testing me?"

Tsunami nodded, "yes, from everything you've told me so far, those would be my conclusions."

Another sigh fell from his lips, "great. Three new mysteries to add to my growing list, and this one won't net any new Titans either."

The woman perked up, "oh, speaking of those Titans, you said they were often the truth behind many of the legends around the world?"

"So it seems, or at least that's what Kurenai has managed to get from that tome," he replied. Oh, he knew his real source was Arc, but no one else needed to know he heard voices in his head. They'd think he'd gone mad or something.

"Well there's a little-known legend right here in Nami," she began, regaining Naruto's wandering attention.

**XXXXXXXX- Ending Notes -XXXXXXXX**

Well, that took a while. I'm trying to get them back to Konoha, but it seems I might have just added a small distraction. What could it be? I don't know yet. We'll just have to wait and find out.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:** Okay... The white outfit I had him wearing when he and the others were healing up in the cave has become his default outfit. Just a heads-up for those who might be confused should he not be wearing the iconic orange. So yes, his current outfit consists of white hakama pants and kimono shirt with his typical sandals.

Thanks to my Beta, Dreaming of the Moon, and a shout out to my fellow Dreamers! Let's keep these dreams alive!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own either Naruto or Huntik.

**Chapter 06: Can anyone say "Day Trip"?**

Naruto found himself standing outside a small cave entrance on the eastern cliffs of Nami, Hinata, Haku, and Kurenai with him. The ledge they stood on was barely large enough for the four of them so the others stayed on the top of the cliff, to keep watch. The opening of the cave was just wide enough to allow one person at a time, but taller than even him by a good two feet.

The legend Tsunami had relayed to him earlier that morning was one of mighty warriors, loyal beyond belief to their ideals. She didn't say how many, but she did mention that they were said to wear armor unlike anything that was used in current times. That didn't really give much information, but the mere fact that these warriors could actually be Titans... well, Naruto wasn't going to let it go that easily.

Besides, even if he didn't bond with the Titan, or Titans, he could always collect them for future use. He wasn't the most combat-thirsty, but he knew a few other shinobi who could fit that description, and if these were armored Titans...

Well, he could deal with that later. First he had to find out just what this legend really was. So, he entered the small cave, swiftly followed by the others.

Damn, it was dark inside, maybe he should have let Hinata lead with her Byakugan.

He almost slapped himself for forgetting something. Sighing, he raised his hand slightly above his head.

"Let there be light. Heh, always wanted to say that. Boltflare."

A sphere of orange electrical energy appeared hovering above him, and as he moved forward, so did it. _'A combat spell with utility uses indeed,'_ he thought as he continued to move forward, slowly. There were ancient murals on the walls, several depicting one type of warrior, a few had yet another, and one was .. was that a dragon? He didn't remember Tsunami mentioning a dragon!

But something was off. Each of the depictions seemed to be from different times, as what Naruto could only describe as civilians all looked to be wearing different styles of clothing. If that was true, and all of these were individual instances in which these warriors, or that dragon, appeared, then these had been reoccurring throughout the centuries. Awakening only to sleep again soon after.

If all of that was true, then like Springer and Undergolem, and whatever Yamanaka Inoichi might be holding, these Titans had been partially active while Arc slept. That discovery surprised the spirit more than he would have thought. Wasn't she the Titan of Fate? Shouldn't she know this was going on?

_"Apparently not, Champion,"_ came the snide comment from the spirit in question.

"_Are you always going to call me that? I have a name, I'm certain you know it."_

_"That name is reserved for those closer to you than I am."_

_"You're a voice in my head. You can't get much closer than that, Arc."_ He replied dryly.

_ "... I shall think upon the matter."_

Oh yeah! Naruto one, Arc seventy-eight! He was finally on the board! WOOT!

... Okay, when put in numerical terms it wasn't so impressive, but _you_ try winning an argument against an ages-old spirit and see how well you do! Especially against one who has the ability to see future events, that just wasn't fair!

"Naruto-kun," Hinata started, her eyes focused on a particular section of the wall he had just passed, "there's writing here."

And there was the downside to talking with Arc in his head, he missed things in reality. He could continue walking, but his observational skills stopped at "am I going to hit something?"

"Hm?" Was his enlightened response. Brilliant, Naruto, just brilliant. "Kurenai-sensei, if you would do the honors?" Nice save!

... Okay, not really.

"Of course, Naruto-sama." She replied, a tiny smirk on her face. She could read him as easily she read a book in her native tongue, but that's what happened when you spent so many years watching over someone without their knowledge.

_"Here do the Warriors rest, awaiting the day they are again needed to defend against the Darkness._

_ "Oh, ye who would disturb them, beware of the dragon guardian which dost protect their slumber!_

_ "Fierce in it's protection, the dragon shall test thee against it's own might, a sword to guide thine way._

_ "For within steel does the answer reside, but not within battle may mortals triumph."_

Naruto paused to think about that. It explained the dragon depicted only that once, if it was a test of sorts to determine how great one's need truly was. He had to wonder though, if this "dragon" was yet another Titan. If so, this was going to be a rather large haul... or he could leave them alone.

That last option was sounding like a great idea. After all, who really wanted to face a dragon?! Only someone truly desperate, and in dire need, would ignore that kind of warning. Naruto, was neither.

With that thought in mind, he turned to his companions, only to see a gleam of interest in Kurenai's eyes. "Let me guess, you want to continue, Kurenai?"

The woman was practically glowing now, which answered his question even without the emphatic nod. With an unheard sigh, he turned around and once more lead the way into the deeper reaches of the cave. This already had a feeling of being trouble, and now it just got worse.

The going was fairly slow, as Naruto wanted to make certain he didn't miss any more possible warnings written on the walls. Unfortunately for him they found only a few other spastic lines that didn't really seem to deal with what might lay beyond. Only vague references to a "Saint George", whoever that was... Naruto was very unsatisfied.

Well, he was unsatisfied until they came into a large, ornate-looking chamber that was clearly carved from the surrounding rock by human hands. Swirling designs of leaves, waves, flames, the sun and moon, and what Naruto could only guess was something meant to represent the wind. Each one colored with multi-hued crystals that gave off their own kind of luminescence. It was a beautiful display of ancient artwork and Naruto's Boltflare was refracting every which way off those crystals, lighting the area up in spectacular fashion.

And in the center of the chamber, on a raised octagonal pedestal, lay a sword. A straight-bladed sword with overlapping reversed crescents for a crosspiece. It still looked as clean and sharp as the day it had been forged, not the slightest sign of rust anywhere. Absolutely pristine, beautiful, and without a doubt it was still a deadly instrument.

And it had an aura of power. Incredibly violent power at that. Not to mention the feeling of destruction and lust of battle that could be felt alongside that violent power.

Well now, wasn't _that_ interesting? Could that be the sword mentioned earlier? Was it part of that "Dragon Test"? If so, what were you supposed to use it for? Master the violence of the blade and force the dragon to let you pass? That seemed too straight forward though... and where was the dragon supposed to be anyway?

Oddly enough, Arc was silent when he asked her opinion. Apparently he was on his own for this one, possibly because it was his choice to look into this legend, instead of having it thrust upon him... well, he was on his own with three women, one of whom had a rather talkative Titan in her head. Maybe Kurenai could shed some light on the subject?

It was just as he had that thought, that a slender hand rested on his shoulder. Turning his head, he lay eyes on Kurenai's face from _very_ close up. With a silent groan he lamented that every kunoichi he met was liable to be beautiful, and it was going to become hard to hide his inevitable reaction at the rate these three were teasing him. On the bright side, her lips were a nice little distraction in the day.

"Naruto-sama," the red-eyed woman began, "that warning earlier, I think it was actually talking about the sword. I don't think you have to fight a dragon, but rather subdue it with your will, while it's _in the sword_."

Naruto thought about that, and it made a certain amount of sense. From a Sealing perspective. If one were to seal the power of a dragon into a sword, then any who would pass must wield the blade properly, subduing it to their purpose. If that was the "test", it was certainly a difficult one, for who could truly tame the power of a dragon?

With a sigh, Naruto turned to the others,"well, I don't know about you ladies, but attempting to 'tame' a dragon wasn't something I signed up for on this expedition. However, I don't like the idea of turning back at this point. Thoughts?"

"I say we continue, Naruto-sama. Stopping now would only have been a waste of time," Haku said with anticipation in her voice. Well, at least someone was excited. So much that she was bouncing on her toes, which was a particularly distracting image.

"I, too, say we should continue, Naruto-kun," Hinata said softly with a slightly out of place grin, "you know you can count on our support in anything, even taming a dragon."

"We should continue, Naruto-sama. While both Hinata and Haku are correct, I feel I must point out that when we agreed to search out and redeem Demigorgon, we agreed to a host of other possible side tasks as well. Surely the taming of a dragon's power would qualify as an appropriate milestone," Kurenai stated, her tone slightly scolding, but damn if she wasn't right.

"I suppose you would be correct, Kurenai-sensei," Naruto said dubiously, "but I can't help but think that the taming of a dragon's power would be a rather high-level milestone, and we've only recently started."

"Yet in that short time, our powers have grown rather dramatically, Naruto-sama," the woman pointed out, and it was true. Normally it would take months of activity and practice to summon Arc, or any Legendary, yet both he and Kurenai had managed it. Albeit with exhaustion not far behind, but the accomplishment was nothing to scoff at.

With another sigh, Naruto turned back toward the sword, "very well, then I shall attempt it. Failure is liable to mean the appearance of powerful enemy, so be ready."

Walking forward, the ladies flanking his steps, Naruto approached the resting blade. Placing one hand upon the hilt, he felt himself pulled into a struggle of wills with whatever power was within it. He focused everything upon the struggle, he could not allow himself to be distracted, to lose his focus, to fail! But the opposing will was powerful, headstrong and violent, desiring little more than destruction.

However, Naruto could feel it. The underlying desire of the power within the blade, the will to protect, to defend! But yet there was something more, something he vaguely recognized as a wish, one he himself felt: a wish to be seen as something more than a tool. This wish empowered the will to defend, which in turn empowered the desire for destruction.

The struggle back and forth for control lasted only for about thirty seconds in the real world, but to Naruto it felt so much longer. Finally he sent a determined thought to the consciousness behind the power, _'if you want to be more than a tool, join me! And together, we shall protect what is precious!'_

A burst of light emanated from the blade, and within Naruto's grasp a new amulet appeared. It was a gray curling thing, almost a full circle, with a large green stone at one end, with three triangular spikes beside it to look like spines.*

Naruto's eyes glassed over, even as green electricity passed between his hand and the amulet, apparently Arc was done with the silent treatment. "Lindorm, Gaia-Titan Warrior. Attack, Four; Defense, Two. Size, Large. Special Ability: Rolling Charge, Wild Fury. Controlling this Titan is a difficult task at first for any Seeker. One must be in complete control of their own thoughts and emotions, because a single stray thought will have Lindorm charging like a raging bull. Despite his aggressive and violent tendencies, Lindorm is a loyal Titan, and seeks only to help his Seeker."

Kurenai looked thoughtful, "I suppose that means to be fully in synch with this Titan you'll need to be feeling destructive, and thinking only about destroying your enemy."

Naruto's eyes cleared, and he shook his head. "Not necessarily, Kurenai-sensei. I felt something more within him, a desire to protect and be seen as more than a force of destruction. Perhaps anger and rage are the keys to begining the bond, but I think if I can get to know him and his desire better, it will mean less need for destructive thoughts."

"Hm," the woman hummed in thought, "you may be correct, Naruto-sama. However, the only way to know for certain is to try, and this is hardly the proper time."

"Agreed," he said. It was most certainly not the time to stop and have a "chat" with his newest Titan. He did send a mental promise to the spirit, however, that he would be doing so as soon as he was able, and would have sworn that he received an acknowledgment.

He and Lindorm were likely to get along just fine.

Realizing he still held the sword in his off hand, Naruto saw a small slit in the top of the raised platform. Thinking quickly, he slotted the blade into the hole, and stepped back as a small rumble sounded in the chamber. The eight sides of the pedestal slid down to reveal a large number of amulets.

If Naruto had to guess a number he'd be betting on sixteen. Why? Because he saw two on each of the sides he could see from where he stood, thus he reasoned that there would be a total of sixteen. They seemed to be made up of repeating amulets, each side holding two of any particular type.

He figured that there would be a large haul, but this was ridiculous! With a heavy sigh, Naruto pulled out the box that held the last of the amulets Zabuza had collected over the years, and carefully began to remove the amulets from the pedestal and place them within the box. It took a little while, mostly because Arc was talkative again, telling him what Titan each amulet held.

When he came to the final side, he was stumped though, as it held four of the same amulet instead of merely two. And odd, dark gray amulet with three leg-like protrusions on each side that made it look like a large beetle.* He placed one in the box, and closed it, before throwing each of the remaining to his partners.

"Kilthane," he said, " Draco-Titan Warrior. His attack and defense are both three, and he's of average size. His special abilities are called Knight's Charge, and Armor Up. He's a fierce warrior who is completely dedicated to his Seeker. I figure you ladies could do with a little more heavy-hitting."

Nodding in agreement, each woman formed a quick bond with their new Titan.

"What about you, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked.

"Kilthane works best with female owners," he replied, sealing the box away again, and pulling the sword from the slot, causing the sides of the pedestal to close up again, before sealing the sword away as well. "Besides," he said as he stood up, "I have plenty of heavy hitting power with Lindorm. If I ever need a close-range fighter, I'll probably grab a different Titan. We found quite a few here after all."

The girl blushed. She actually forgot about that for a moment, Lindorm would be a powerful addition to Naruto's team of Titans. There was no doubt the dragon would fit perfectly with him in Hinata's mind. For to her, Naruto was dragon himself, protecting his treasure: Konoha and all who lived within.

Facing the women, Naruto said, "alright Ladies, shall we head on back?"

Only to notice that Kurenai wasn't with the others anymore, but rather seemed to be looking at the far back wall, with her own conjured ball of light. She waved from where she was, her eyes never leaving the wall, "over here, Naruto-sama. This is interesting, and bring that sword back out."

Curious, Naruto did so and joined the woman at the back wall. There he saw more of that ancient writing. Now he was getting annoyed, he really needed to learn how to read that stuff.

"What's it say, Kurenai?" He asked, his voice never betraying the irritation he felt at having to ask that question. He _really_ wanted to be able to read it himself.

"_The Sword of the Saint shall open a new path to those who seek Knowledge,_" She replied with a hint of mirth. She could practically feel his frustration, and she found it amusing that for all his gain in power he still had the impatience of a typical teenage male.

"Oh for crying out loud," Naruto grumbled as he finally took note of yet another slit that looked like a perfect fit for the blade. Slotting it into place, the group was rewarded with a set of darkened stairs leading downward. "Of course they lead down, nothing interesting ever leads up."

Hearing giggles from behind him, he resolutely started down the steps. If he didn't look, he didn't have to know just which of the girls was laughing at him. It wasn't his fault that nothing interesting lead up! It was a universal rule! Nothing of any interest happened above ground!

The fact that they were currently several meters below the ground was beside the point.

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

Back above ground, at the cliffside, Ino sat staring out at the ocean waves. The revelations of the past several days were begining to wear on her, and she felt the need to sort through them. Meditation and focus had never been strong points for her, she would admit that much readily, but she wasn't bad at them.

First on her mental list was that the Naruto she knew was a mask, a cover for a man that was far deeper than any she knew had given him credit for. She recalled that in the academy everyone made fun of him save for Hinata, due to a crush, Iruka, as a teacher, Shikamaru, probably because it would be too troublesome, and Choji, who simply didn't have a mean bone in his body.

Did Sakura know about this? She was on Naruto's team after all, shouldn't she have noticed something off about the blonde boy in that time?... Oh, who was Ino kidding? Sasuke was on Team Seven as well, so Sakura probably ignored Naruto except to hit him over the head.

In any case, Ino knew she needed to make up for years of abusing her fellow blonde, but she wasn't about to follow Hinata's example. Yamanaka Ino was no man's servant! ... Though that did have a certain kink to it, she'd find another way to make it up to Naruto.

The second thing on her mental list was these Titans. Shikamaru had one, a cute little thing that reminded her of the legends of kitsune. Choji had one too, but he said his was too big to just summon on a whim. When he told her that it was somewhat more than ten feet in height, she reluctantly agreed with him. That was more than a little too big to bring out just to satisfy her curiosity.

Her team mates each had one, given to them by their father's for their graduation. That begged the question: did her father have one as well? And if so, why did he not give it to her for graduating? Did he not think her ready for such a thing? Was she lacking in some regard?

She could only assume the answer to her last two questions was "yes". And that honestly depressed her. She wanted to be seen as a mature and responsible young woman, and if her own father found her lacking then she was obviously falling short of her goal.

Maybe it had to do with her gossiping? Her near-obsession with Sasuke? Her need to always be right? Some combination of the above?

_'Probably,'_ she thought with a slight wince. If she could see it, she had little doubt that her father did as well. After all, he taught her all she knew about being a ninja.

Ino's thoughts idly turned to just what kind of Titan her father might have. Shikamaru said Springer was highly intelligent, a master of traps, and someone he played strategy games against to keep himself sharp. Choji said his was large and designed for combat, either attacking or defending. Both of these fit her team mates well, Shikamaru's natural intellect, and Choji's size and will to protect that which he felt was precious to him. And both of the boys had inherited these traits from their fathers.

But what of her? There was little of her father in her. Aside from coloring and clan techniques, Ino could say with a fair amount of certainty that she was her mother's daughter. Both enjoyed gossiping for the sake of looking more informed than others, and those expensive out-of-country teas. Ino would rather be primping herself up, or shopping, than training or fighting. And Ino, with sudden clarity, knew that all of this pretty much made her a _civilian kunoichi!_

Widening eyes was the only outward sign of her new distress. "Civilian Kunoichi" was a phrase coined by long-standing shinobi to describe a kunoichi who came from a civilian background, and didn't take the lifestyle of the shinobi seriously, but could still be counted on as cannon-fodder. It was basically a death sentence for those who entered the shinobi program without proper motivation, either for the civilian-born or their team.

Thankfully she knew of a few ways to fix the issue, the primary one being to ask her father and her jonin-sensei for more training. Oh, she might have drop the gossiping, and maybe shopping too, but she could at least start with training seriously. It wouldn't be an overnight fix, Ino knew that much, but it would be a start to becoming more than she currently was.

"So you finally see it," a lazy voice said from behind her.

Turning, Ino saw Shikamaru standing there with a sharp look in his eye that belied the laziness in his voice. She immediately saw something that she hadn't before, he wasn't slouching like he used to. He stood with his back straight, and head held high. This wasn't the Nara Shikamaru she had grown up with, this was the Nara Shikamaru who had agonized over the possible loss of his team, and turned to his own father to get extra training.

This was a Chunin, something Ino herself aspired to become one day. But she knew, as she was now there was no way for her to obtain it. Because she could finally see that with the privileges of the rank, came an enormous load of responsibility, and she knew she wasn't ready for it.

"Yes," she said with a small nod, "I think I'm at least begining to."

"That's good, Ino. Now you should know what you have to do," he said, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Yes," she replied with a resolution in her eyes that he had never seen before. And Shikamaru dearly hoped it would stick around. He'd rather not lose one of his earliest childhood friends, especially this early in their lives.

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

Meanwhile, back underground, the team of Seekers had come to a small problem. Namely what appeared to be a large body of water between them and the next stage of their exploration. Naruto tried to adhere his hand to the wall with his chakra, only to have it repel him instead. Thus wall-walking was out, and dangerous-looking eddies in the water indicated some kind of trap beneath the surface, but the water also repelled chakra, so water-walking was out as well.

A tossed coin proved the existence of some sort of water-based trap, as it was sucked under, only to be spat out randomly with enough force to bounce back in an arc at Naruto. Thankfully it had lost a great deal of momentum by that point, and he was able to catch it without harm. Okay, so just trying to walk through was also out.

Next option!

"Ideas, ladies?" Naruto asked, deciding to pick the minds of his fellows.

"I have one, Naruto-sama," Haku said, holding a small ball of blue light. "Augerfrost!"

A lance of light shot from her hand and contacted the water, freezing it instantly. Well damn, he really needed to get into the idea of using the powers for utility purposes. And maybe he should learn that particular spell too, after all it wasn't a guarantee that Haku would always be with him.

Though he had the suspicion that it was her experience with her Hyoton that allowed her to learn it so quickly. Beginner spell it may be, but he had the thought that those elementally charged were somehow more difficult to learn.

Meh, something to try at a later date. He was here right now, and Haku _was_ with him so there was little point to thinking about it at the moment. He'd definitely be testing it later though.

"Okay... that was effective. I'm starting to get an idea that in some places, like this, only these Seeker abilities will allow us to pass," Kurenai mused. It made sense, who wanted just anyone to be able to access their secret locations? She was willing to bet that those crystals earlier would have had a far different reaction to a light that wasn't magical in nature.

Actually, now that she thought about it, the walls of this area were coated in that same crystal, and were glowing... Oh, that was probably a bad thing.

The corridor before them lit up in flame, the heat intense enough to easily melt the ice and force the team to retreat up the stairs. Okay, simply freezing the water wasn't going to let them pass. Good to know, but that was _too close!_

"Okay, any other ideas?" Naruto asked, coughing slightly to regain his breath from the sudden need to evacuate the bottom of the stairs.

"I have one, Naruto-kun," Hinata said, pulling her new Kilthane amulet out, "Kilthane!"

A tall knight in dark armor appeared, kneeling in submission to Hinata. Now that was interesting. "Loyal to their Seeker" indeed!

"Kilthane, I need you to go into the water and see if there is a way to make safe for us to pass," Hinata commanded, to which the knight rose and walked off the lip and into the water, sinking out of sight. Well, that confirmed Naruto's suspicion about how deep the water was. Kilthane stood a little less than eight feet in height, and they couldn't see him anymore, so that was obviously too deep for them to walk across.

A few minutes later, Naruto saw Kilthane rise from the far end, and pull a lever, causing a pathway to bridge the space between him and them. Seriously? There was a lever on the other side of the freaking water?!

_"Arc, remind me to take a closer look at that damned book. I just know there has to be a spell in there that could have prevented all this headache,"_ Naruto communicated mentally.

_"There is indeed, Champion,"_ Arc's voice came back amused, _"it's called Farslip. Care to guess what it does?"_

_ "Oh, tough call. Perhaps it moves objects at a distance?"_ He responded sarcastically.

He didn't receive any reply, but it was fairly obvious what the spell did. He'd have to take another look through the book anyway, he needed more of those spells in his arsenal. Even Boltflare, when imbued with further power, became something not to be hit by.

And therein lay another difference between these spells and jutsu. Increase a jutsu with chakra, and it was liable to blow up in your face, flop uselessly, or you get an entirely different jutsu. Increase the magic in a spell, and you get a stronger version so long as you can control it's direction.

Oh well, they could pass now, and that's what mattered at this point. Though Hinata kept Kilthane invoked, just in case they felt the need for his kind of muscle again. After all, "better safe than sorry", as they say.

Well, there was that, and they didn't know the rate at which Kilthane would be ready to be summoned again. Some Titans recovered quickly, others took a few hours, some took days. It was all a matter of power, both of the Titan and of the Seeker. The stronger the Seeker, the more often they could invoke certain strengths of Titans. Whereas with the more powerful Titans, summoning them more than once in any given day was next to impossible.

In any case, The group came to a door in short order. It was a simple-looking wooden construct, but Naruto could feel some kind of power from it. However, it didn't feel destructive, it felt more preservative, as if it was simply keeping something from deteriorating.

So he strode up to the door, and opened it. Without a sound, the door opened, revealing a large room with columns surrounding the outer perimeter. Expensive-looking paintings hung upon the wall, and there were four bookshelves behind a large table.

Naruto whistled, "damn! More books that I wish we could take with us!"

Kurenai sighed, "if we just take the sword with us when we leave, I doubt any of this will vanish, Naruto-sama."

He waved his hand dismissively, "oh I know that, Kurenai-sensei. That doesn't stop me from wishing I could take it all, though. I'll just take one or two, and carry them personally. I'll either come back some day, or it will wait for another Seeker."

A relieved expression crossed the woman's features, "I'm glad you're being reasonable about this, Naruto-sama. After Uzushio, I wasn't certain if you'd ever leave another book behind," she teased.

A flush came to his cheeks, "I wasn't that bad!"

"Yes you were, Naruto-sama," Haku said.

"B-but!"

Hinata giggled, "shall we see just which books you will take from here, Naruto-kun? I'm fairly certain that we can get back to the others before sundown if we hurry."

Grumbling, Naruto made his way over to the shelves, only to notice a thin sheaf of papers on the table. Picking up the top page, he found himself looking at the formula for a new spell called Stopglue. Taking a quick glance at the next page he saw that too was a spell, so he leafed through a few more pages.

Each one was a spell he was almost certain wasn't in the tome he already possessed, but they didn't seem to be in any particular order, and some were obviously advanced powers that he couldn't make out just yet. It seemed like it was just a list of random spells that someone transcribed for purposes of someday being put _into_ a book, ten in total.

"Well, this is promising," he mused aloud. Seeing a leather tube near the stack of papers, he assumed it was a scroll case of sorts, and opened it.

It was empty. Perfect. Naruto quickly picked up the spell pages, rolled them up, and placed them into the tube. Closing the tube securely, he placed it into yet another inside pocket of his yukata, near the tome he already possessed.

This alone was well worth the extra aggravation!

But he would need to figure out just how many secret little pockets this outfit of his actually possessed. He already had two tomes, four scrolls, and now a new scroll tube in hidden little niches. It even had loops near the belt for some of his amulets.

If he didn't know better, and at this point he was quite certain he didn't, he'd think one or more of his girls was modifying them as to fit his needs. He didn't even really need to include the giant scroll on his back in his thoughts, as it was hardly a hidden item.

He did, however, have to wonder if the girls were trying to make white his official color. It wasn't a bad choice, considering his hair color, but if he could get some _orange_ in there, it would be really awesome! Even if he couldn't wear his old orange jumpsuits anymore, if he could at least get some orange in this new outfit the ladies were forcing him into, it would be better than the stark white it currently was.

After all, orange was a combination of red and yellow. How could it _not_ be awesome?

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

It didn't really take very long for Naruto to pick another item from the hidden chamber. It was just a book, but the title had him practically chomping at the bit to look through. However, it was not the time to do so.

Though he did take a few minutes to quickly study the Farslip spell, Kilthane having been returned to Hinata's amulet. He got a bit of practice in when they were leaving, and he used the new spell to flip the lever and retract the bridge. He also made certain to pick up the sword and seal it away, closing the secret door in the crystal chamber.

Retracing their steps was another simple task, and when they got outside they found it was only a little past noon. They could still make good time for Konoha if Haku would just allow Naruto to travel at shinobi speed! He was fine, dammit!

At the top of the cliff, Naruto received yet another surprise that day: a hug of welcome from Ino. Confused, he sent a questioning glance to Shikamaru and received a gesture for "just go with it". Okay...?

What. The. Fuck. Happened while he was in that cavern?

Behind him, Kurenai, Hinata, and Haku were seething behind false smiles. Kakashi and the other males took one look at their eyes, storming with pent up violence, and quickly decided they should stay out of it. They didn't want to die.

"Hm, hey, Shikamaru, doesn't that cloud kind look like an oil lamp?" Neji asked.

**XXXXXXXX- Ending Notes -XXXXXXXX**

Oooo, Naruto's found a new book that he _really_ wants to look through, what could it be? For those who might have been wondering: Naruto's little harem will not likely be growing beyond the three he's got. I've done that kind of thing before, and it just made things take longer.

As for the sword.. it's a KEY. It may still be polished and sharp, but it's now a key, so he will not be using it to dice people to shreds. In the end it'll probably end up as a wall ornament or mantle decoration.

*Lindorm's amulet. Lindorm is pretty much as stated, but I'm adding a little bit to him. That underlying desire to protect just fit so well with the Celtic dragon that I couldn't resist.

*Kilthane's amulet. Again, Kilthane is pretty much as stated. He's a heavily armored knight, fitting the image of the "Dark Knight" quite well. He's fully capable of being used on the sea floor due to his armor's weight and his not needing to breathe. His profile on the wikia doesn't actually state he does best with female masters, but he's a Dark Knight kind of Titan, so I thought it worked.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:** EEP! Next chapter's here!... Okay, yeah, thought I'd have a reason for this thing... and I don't. Which is cool in it's own way.

Thanks to my Beta, Dreaming of the Moon, and a shout to my fellow Dreamer, Dreaming of the Sky!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own either Naruto or Huntik.

**Chapter 07: Home Again... Now What?**

Two days out from Nami, and Haku finally cleared Naruto for active Shinobi duty, which meant they could shave at least a couple days off their time frame. He'd been chomping at the proverbial bit to get back on schedule, and now he could finally say if they were late, it wouldn't be his fault.

They were stopped for lunch, and Naruto had taken out the the "Spell Tome", as it was being called, and was studying a new power that seemed like it would be useful to know. He reflected sadly that his knowledge of spells easily outclassed his knowledge of jutsu, but such was the price for unwanted infamy and lazy jonin-sensei... Naruto suddenly wondered if he could talk Tsunade into changing his team up. Maybe keep Kurenai as sensei, and steal Hinata from Team Eight? Then finish off it off with Haku, and he'd never have to worry about a sensei that would be late, or a teammate trying to kill him.

Eh, he'd bring it up with his Hokage when they all got back, as only the Hokage could change his Team on a permanent basis. Until then, it was lunch and Hinata had just handed him a fresh sandwich. Slices of ham and turkey and roast beef, with diced onions, tomato, spiced cheese, and lettuce on home bread, and then warmed so the cheese was just melted.

Yummy. Not exactly filling, but good nonetheless. Of course compared to the dozen or so bowls of ramen he could pack away in a single sitting, a simple sandwich wasn't really that much. He would have to remember to send a thank-you back to Tsunami for the provisions to finish their trip back to Konoha.

Then he noticed a plate beside him, holding a good sized pyramid of the same sandwiches. Okay, Hinata knew too much about him if she already had that many prepared. How did she know that much? She'd already demonstrated a knowledge of things she shouldn't have a clue about, namely about his status as the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki.

That could possibly be explained by her eyes seeing some of the Kyuubi's chakra in his system, as he knew it would look different to the Byakugan. His fight in the third round of the Chunin Exams against Neji supported that, but it didn't explain how she knew what he liked on his sandwich, or his eating habits in general. Well everyone knew about his near addiction to Ichiraku's ramen, but over the past few days Hinata had also showed that she knew what he liked in soups, for breakfast, and even dinner.

It was starting to border creepy. If not for that fact that he couldn't argue with the results, he'd probably actually voice the question. So with a shrug he picked up another sandwich, and returned to his reading.

_'Hm... Findshape, eh? Not an easy spell by any measure, but if I can get it to work properly, I can fix anything back to it's last state.'_ Naruto thought to himself, thoughts that Arc was listening in on.

She had little enough else to do with her time, and seeing visions of the future got boring after a while. Especially since the future was mutable, changed easily by the simplest thing. She remembered one such future, an entire global war had been averted because the instigator tripped over his own shoe lace, and broke his neck in the subsequent fall.

Oh well, at least her current bearer's thoughts weren't dull, even if the were rather random at times. Arc still wasn't sure if she wanted to know how he connected learning Farslip with eating cheese-covered nachos. She was fairly certain that knowing exactly how his mind worked would probably lead to her going mad, which was not something she wanted to deal with.

A Foreseer afflicted with madness? That was a terrifying thought. Especially one of her power. She may not be a physical combatant, but she could probably hold her own in magic... but she liked the idea of Naruto not relying on her to get him out of situations. If he relied upon himself and his new servants, Arc was certain that his future would forever be his to mold as he chose.

_'Oh no, now he's got_ me_ rambling!'_ Arc thought to herself with widened eyes._ 'How did he do that? I've known him for only a few weeks!'_

Time to stop watching his thoughts for a bit. She needed a new distraction... oh, Haku was doing something in the trees...

Okay, that was something Arc probably shouldn't have watched, but now she knew how Haku was taking the lack of extremely intimate contact with Naruto so well... alright, she was handling it_ better_ than the other two. But it was still something that should have been left private.

Kakashi had his newly acquired Bulregard out on circuit patrol with a few of his ninken summons. The man had bonded with the hound Titan incredibly easily, though Arc supposed his previous contract with those ninja dogs could account for that ease. The man was even bothering to read up on a few spells he thought would be helpful, without using his hidden Sharingan eye.

Apparently he didn't trust that his implanted eye couldn't be stolen, and he wasn't going to take the chance that it might remember any of the information of it's own accord. His was the first successful implant of a Sharingan in someone not of the Uchiha Clan, and no one was certain just what might occur in that case. It was a well-received gesture on his part.

Kurenai was meditating with her newest amulet, the Kilthane Naruto gave her in what has come to be called the "Crystal Chamber." Apparently she wanted to be on good terms with all of her Titans, and pick their minds for any information she possibly could. This was an attitude that Arc found admirable, and encouraged Naruto to copy it.

Her new Champion had complied to a degree, mostly because he had a promise to keep to Lindorm. He wasn't picking them for information though, rather he was establishing a rather different kind of bond than most Seekers had with their Titans. He was becoming their friend.

Most Seekers entered a more partner-like relationship with their Titans, or at least that's what Arc could determine from what she'd viewed the last time her ring had been touched by another Seeker. Aside from those, there then came the ones who either didn't know what to make of the situation and ended up treating their Titans like pets, or those who invariably treated them as tools. Naruto was doing something that hadn't been tried previously, and the results spoke for them themselves.

In that crystal cavern, Arc had been forced to hold Megladeath back from summoning itself to aid her young Champion. Apparently the powerful sea Titan had discovered a soft spot for "friends" that it hadn't known about before. That reaction was unprecedented in Arc's knowledge of her fellow Titans.

Even Lord Casterwill, the very man who had first called her kind to this world eons ago, had more of a Master and Servant relationship with the Titans. He never abused that, but the bonds of such could only go so far, and she knew that neither she nor any of her fellow Legendary Titans would have summoned themselves for the man.

The fact that the man rarely ever_ needed_ their aid was another matter entirely. He had earned their eternal respect and allegiance, and that was enough for most Titans to follow him. The few who didn't agree with that sentiment, well... they came around, eventually.

And now, eons later, her new Champion, Uzumaki Naruto, was using a different tactic and it was proving effective. Megladeath had earned it's name for not caring one whit about whether if a human lived or died, but now it would have summoned itself if not for Arc's intervention. Honestly, Arc wasn't certain about how to view that development, but until shown otherwise she would remain hopeful.

Oh, the group was on the move again. Only a few more days and they would be back at Konoha, but Arc couldn't help wondering if the vision she'd seen was true. A vision of a one-armed man attempting to duplicate and control Demigorgon's power.

She could only hope not, and pass the vision along to Naruto if he ever met the man. If they could get Demigorgon's ring without needing the Amulet of Will, and subsequently waking Overloss, she'd be a great deal happier. There were secrets about the Amulet that only she and Overloss knew, and she_ really_ didn't want anyone learning about them. One in particular she didn't need anyone else knowing, it was too great a burden...

Besides, the sooner they got Demigorgon, the sooner Naruto could begin to redeem her fellow Titan's abused power.

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

Amazingly, Naruto saw the gates of Konoha appear before them without any actual trouble arising first. Which meant one thing in his mind: he was about to have trouble_ within_ Konoha. That was always how it worked for him, if he didn't have a shit tonne of trouble while outside the walls, he invariably would have it inside them.

_"Ah well, what is life without some annoyance?"_ Arc asked.

...

_'Less irritating?'_ Naruto thought in response.

_"Touché."_

Buoyed by that light exchange, Naruto approached the gate. Standing there, as usual, were two chunin who were jokingly called "The Eternal Gate Guards", because they were always guarding the gate. Kamizuru Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu were the definition of trouble-making, yet reliable, people. They never held any ill will against Naruto for containing the Kyuubi, and actually bothered to hide him a few times during his prank runs.

Cool guys, really.

"Yo! Naruto!" Kotetsu shouted when he saw the blonde teen, "you've been gone a while, it was actually quiet!"

Naruto grinned, "I guess I'll have to fix that, won't I?"

Izumo laughed, "you got that right! Now get over and sign in! Hokage-sama's waitin' for ya!"

"Better not make Baa-chan wait any longer then," Naruto muttered as he signed in, making certain to note down Haku as a Plus one, his personal Guest. Few would look twice at it, and those that would either couldn't do anything about it, or would be soon removed from a position to try.

Ignoring the comical looks of disbelief on the two chunin's faces, Naruto lead the group on toward the Hokage Tower. He had a long delayed meeting with his Hokage, and it would have to cover a number of different topics.

Topics he had discussed with his mother's spirit alongside Arc. He had questions, and in the absence of Jiraiya, Tsunade would have to do for answers. And he knew exactly where he wanted to start.

**XXXXXXXX- Break - Mindscape -XXXXXXXX**

Within a cage inside what appeared to be dank sewer, a large fox sat watching the events unfold. Just outside the cage stood several figures, one human he was only somewhat familiar with, the others being the mental representations of Naruto's Titans and the boy's bond with them. Arc herself stood, or floated depending on your point of view, directly in the middle.

"What do you think, Kurama?" Arc asked quietly, "is he ready for the answers? All of them? Some of them? Or perhaps, none at all?"

The large fox eyed the Titan of Fate carefully, his sensitive ears easily picking up her question. "I don't know, Arc. Can you not see the future?"

Slowly her head shook from side to side slowly, "too many variables, too many choices, and many are equally possible. There is no way for my power to tell me the outcome with any degree of assurance."

"He'll be fine. My boy will not fail to surprise you, Arc-chan!" Kushina said with complete confidence. She had no doubt in her son's ability to handle everything, after all, he was Konoha's Number One Most Surprising Ninja.

Arc raised a single eyebrow, or what passed for eyebrows, "I believe I asked you not to call me that, Kushina-san."

Kushina stuck her tongue out at the spirit, "and I decided against granting that request."

Arc's left eye began to twitch in irritation. Her current Champion was very talented in getting under people's skin, almost excelling at it, and used it to get a read on someone's true nature. But while she would admit that Naruto was gifted, his mother was obviously a Master of the art, and it irked the spirit greatly.

"I agree with the red-furred human," came a growling voice, quickly gaining everyone's attention. Lindorm floated above the water covering the floor of the sewer-like room, the ancient Celtic dragon now the center of focus. "The boy has shown himself to be surprising, innovative, determined, powerful, and honorable. He'll do it right, and he'll stand by his word. I've only been with him for a few days, and I can see this easily."

"High praise indeed, coming from you, Lindorm." Arc said. It was true, Lindorm had been used, and his power abused, many times in the past. For him to say such things about young Naruto... well, the words carried a great amount of weight.

Even the giant fox behind the cage was nodding his head. He had been with the boy from the child's birth, and even before that. He had seen what the brat went through daily for years, all the subterfuge, the lies, the excuses, and it all just made the kid come back harder, stronger, faster, and more determined than ever. And the boy had, beyond all hope and expectations, succeeded admirably, he became a ninja, he did what everyone thought was impossible, time and again. That, if nothing else, had earned the boy some of the fox's respect.

Shaking his head, Kurama thought about the ancient dragon's words. For reasons he didn't currently know, those words resonated within him. As if they were echoes of someone he had known in the past who resembled that very description. It wasn't a great stretch of the imagination, since before the Warring Clan's Era, the Bijuu were revered as guardians and protectors of their chosen lands. In that time, Kurama had met and know a great number of humans.

He stopped shaking his head, his eyes falling upon the form his second host, another unwilling soul used to house him. Kushina had been but a child when he was transferred to her keeping, and she had actually made the effort to enter the seal on multiple occasions, trying to get him to open up to her. Eventually she succeeded, and he had someone he could tentatively call friend. When she told him that she was going to get married, he was glad she had found a mate she felt worthy. Then she made mention of her pregnancy, and he promised to behave during the delivery.

Kurama would admit to a somewhat odd view on the subject of Naruto's birth. Being sealed within Kushina at the time, created a bond between Kurama and the unborn child, his power flowing freely through the still unformed chakra coils, empowering the boy long before birth. As such, due to certain mutations that no one had taken note of, Kurama felt he was much a parent to Naruto as the boy's human parents.

Now the fox was inside a cage directly behind his friend, and found himself checking out her ass, like a human male would! It was impossible! It was beyond the very_ concept_ of insane! It was... an undeniably fine ass. Good, firm breasts, slim waist, wide hips, long red hair, gray eyes that looked like a storm waiting to happen, and an expressive face. Uzumaki Kushina was, without doubt or question, a beautiful woman.

Two of his tails folded around his eyes, and Kurama released a silent groan into them. Dammit, he was smitten with the fiery human vixen.

Fuck.

Wait, she was partially reincarnated as that Kunoichi Titan, wasn't she? Come to think of it, that was the only Titan that didn't have a representation within the boy's mind... was it possible that she really was immortal now? Or was it only temporary?

Ugh, too many questions, not enough answers, and that damned Arc was throwing a knowing look back at him! Insufferable know-it-all! Now he knew how his fellow Bijuu felt whenever they conversed with... him...

**DAMMIT!**

Unknown to Kurama, Kushina hid a naughty little smirk, and had an interesting little plan for the oversized chakra beast. Contrary to what the fox thought,_ she_ had noticed the mutations within Naruto. How could she not, when it was she that gave birth?

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

It didn't take long to reach Hokage Tower, and after climbing the stairs to the correct level, Naruto lead the group through the halls. He would never need a guide in the tower, having spent so much time there in the past. Coming up on the Hokage's office, he spotted someone that had quickly become like a sister to him.

"Hey, Shizune-nee! Baa-chan available?"

The dark-haired woman didn't even bother to look up from whatever paperwork she was currently buried under, and just waved the group on. It wasn't until Naruto was about to open the door that the words hit home for the woman, and her head snapped up, "Stop!"

Turning around, Naruto's face revealed his well-known prankster's grin, even as he was suddenly being fussed over by the woman. He didn't mind most of the checking, but when she started to go below the belt, he caught her hands in his and said with a teasing tone, "unless you plan to do more than just make sure I'm all there, Shizune-nee, I'm going to have to ask you to leave that area of me alone."

Shizune stared at him blankly for a few moments before what he said, and what she had been about to do, sank in and her face lit up in a bright blush. She was so surprised, she actually started stuttering her denial. "N-Naruto-kun! I-it's not like t-that! I-I was just-!"

Naruto's chuckling voice broke through her confused and embarrassed thoughts, and her face heated up even further. When she leveled her embarrassed glare in his direction, Naruto was quick to apologize, "sorry, Nee-chan, I couldn't resist."

Shizune took a few moments to cool her blush, before wrapping him up in a tight hug. "It's alright, Naruto-kun. But she's waiting, you can tell me all about your adventures later."

Another chuckle escaped him as he returned the hug briefly, "alright, Nee-chan. Actually, why don't you just come in with us? Then I don't have to repeat the utterly weird series of events of the past few weeks."

Shizune giggled a little, "alright." She moved past him and opened the door of the office, "Tsunade-sama, Naruto and the others are back."

"Yes, yes, show them in," Tsunade said dismissively, completely ignoring her assistant's words. "Dammit, Naruto's not back for a few more..." she paused mid rant, and looked up hesitantly.

Naruto grinned cheekily, "hey, Baa-chan. How's the paperwork?"

Kakashi swore that even if he'd had his Sharingan uncovered, he'd have missed seeing the woman move. He literally blinked and she was gone from behind the desk, and hugging Naruto's head into her chest strong enough for anyone to see the boy turning blue. The man couldn't decide if he envied Naruto's current position, or pitied him.

"Um, Tsunade-sama?" Hinata said nervously, fidgeting slightly once the powerful woman's eyes were on her, "I don't think Naruto-kun can breathe..."

Blinking, the blonde woman looked down and noticed the distinctly blue shade to the boy's complexion and quickly let go, allowing Naruto to suck in gasps of air to try and relieve the burning in his lungs. "Dammit, Baa-chan! Are you trying to kill me already?!"

Tsunade blushed lightly in embarrassment, before returning to her chair. "So sue me, Gaki. There are a number of things that happened while you were gone, and I'm betting just as much happened to you. So I'll start, and you shut up."

Finally having regained his breath, Naruto nodded. There were times to mouth off, and times to be serious. This was the second, and he knew it.

"Alright," Tsunade started, taking a breath, "first off, is that you actually have supporters on the Civilian Council now."

Naruto stared at her blankly, "you're shitting me."

She grinned, "nope. Apparently they were hiding in their cellars all this time."

"Now I know you're fucking with me," he deadpanned. Civilian supporters? Unless the Ichiraku father/daughter duo got on the council, he highly doubted it.

"Stop that," Tsunade said crossly, "I'm serious, brat. It seems that since the brouhaha with the invasion, that the civilian population is starting to rethink things. About half of them are now on your side."

Naruto blinked repeatedly. Seriously? That many? She had to be joking, right?

Flashes of Konoha civilians, ones he barely recognized as those who had never even so much as pointed in his direction before, passed through his head. Arc's power was showing him the changed opinions of the people. It was staggering, it was humbling... it was kinda funny.

Oh, Kami. She wasn't kidding. It was actually happening, he was getting recognition for what he did, rather than what he held.

"Okay, I'll think about that later, when I can have my fit without looking like a degenerate," he said. It was the best he could do, table it for now and deal later. He wasn't certain how he felt right now, and he didn't want to get sidetracked.

Tsunade and Shizune shared a look for a moment, "alright, we'll get to the next big thing on the list: you have been granted promotion to Chunin, both for your actions during the invasion, as well as your previous actions and words during the exams. Congratulations, Naruto. Unfortunately, you're a little earlier than I expected, so your flak jacket isn't here yet."

A smile crossed his face, "thank you, Hokage-sama. I promise, I'll do you proud."

"You already have, Naruto." She returned his smile affectionately. "Next up, and this is really important, so pay attention: your knowledge of your parents has actually netted you a rather significant amount of money, and even a small piece of property that they intended to build a house on. They, of course, left you more than money and land, but once again, you're earlier and I haven't had the time to retrieve it from where it's being kept in a Hokage-only location."

"What? But I already... dammit, Jiji!" Naruto started only to interrupt himself, "I knew there should have been more! Two powerful ninja, and they only left one small box with a couple scrolls and a ring? Stupid, Naruto, stupid!"

"Ah, it's actually not so surprising that Sarutobi-sensei didn't know," Tsunade said, "the property was well-hidden in the marriage gifts, from myself and the Pervert. As to the money, the original Civilian council can be blamed for that. When your father died, and Sensei declared him to have no living progeny, they appropriated your parent's funds quietly, and claimed them as lost revenue. They'd been funneling it quietly either into their own pockets or reconstruction projects for years. I had Ibiki do a full reckoning of their accounts, and all the money has been reimbursed into your own account, with the appropriate interest taken from those self-same councilors."

Naruto's eyebrow twitched. So the civilians tried screwing him over again, did they? And they got away with it, too, because the old man was too out of it to see it clearly.

The blonde woman sighed, "so, you already received the extra bits?"

Naruto lifted his right hand, Arc's ring glinting in the light of the setting sun, "the supposedly minor stuff. Just a box with a couple of scrolls, letters really, and this ring."

Tsunade nodded, "there's a few other things, scrolls mostly, a few artifacts, and couple other things. Nothing supposedly expensive or important, but because they were remanded into Sensei's custody they were placed into the Hokage Vault."

Naruto blinked, "oh, that place. I could get it all, if you told me where to look."

She rubbed her temples, "Naruto, it's the Hokage Vault. Only the Hokage can access it."

Naruto snorted, "yeah, keep telling yourself that."

Tsunade eyed him warily, "how many times have you accessed that Vault?"

"With, or without, Jiji's knowledge?"

"Both."

Naruto shrugged, "a few dozen times. Never took anything, but it was a great place to look around."

Tsunade sighed heavily, "of course you did. You're the kid that pranked Anbu for years before graduating, why am I surprised anymore?"

The two of them blatantly ignored the shocked looks everyone else was sporting. There was a lot of information being passed around here, and fair bit of it was hard to credit or believe. It was at that moment that Shikamaru summed up everyone else's thoughts:

"Troublesome."

Rubbing her temples again, Tsunade nodded, "for once, Nara, I'm inclined to agree with one of you." Shaking her head, she looked up at Naruto, "I'll give you a list and their locations later. You can retrieve them at your leisure. Now, there is one last item on my end of things, but it's best given in private, so it's time for your report, Chunin Uzumaki."

"Is this room entirely secure, Hokage-sama?" Naruto asked, receiving a wait command while Tsunade went through the motions to lock down her office. He then went to explain the events of the past few weeks, starting with Sasuke's unwillingness to return to Konoha under the belief that being there made him weak. Coming up to the portion about the Titan, Tsunade expressed a level of disbelief. To allay this disbelief, Naruto withdrew the box containing the amulets. He pulled out the last one that Zabuza had collected and passed it to her, causing arcs of electricity to pass between their hands.

"Freelancer!" Tsunade cried as her eyes lit up, and from within the amulet came an armored knight carrying a heavy shield and lance. And, while the Titan looked fine, Tsunade was gasping for breath.

"Welcome to the club, Hokage-sama," Naruto said with humor. It really was rather entertaining, seeing her double over from the exhaustion of her first time summoning.

"What did you do, Naruto?" She demanded after regaining her breath.

"_I_ did nothing, Baa-chan. That was all you, and it's always like that at first, summoning a Titan requires a large amount of mental fortitude, and if you aren't prepared for it, it can knock you on your ass." He replied, a certain amount of smugness in his tone, "besides, you weren't believing me that they resided with things like these amulets, so I had to let you feel it for yourself."

"Well, you certainly got your point across," she said with a wry grin. A prank as an example, and introduction, was just Naruto's style. "So, this big guy's mine now, huh? Don't suppose you could tell me more about him?"

Naruto shrugged, "I could, but are sure you wouldn't rather discover his tricks for yourself?"

"Naruto," Tsunade said warningly. She was not in the mood for his playfulness right then.

"Alright, alright," he raised his hands defensively as his eyes glazed over, "Freelancer, Draco-Titan Warrior. Attack and Defense are both set at Three. Size, Average. Special Ability: Defender. Freelancer is a loyal knight to his Seeker, and the ease of his bonding leads him to be the first for many new Seekers. This trend also lends itself to his willingness to enter any fray."

Tsunade's eyes bugged slightly, "That was easy? I'd hate to see a hard bonding, if that's the case."

Naruto smirked, "actually, Hokage-sama, Kurenai-sensei, Hinata-chan, Haku-chan, and myself all bear what are called 'Legendary Titans'. They are the most powerful of their kind," he grimaced, "and the energy cost of summoning one of them is extraordinary."

"I've been meaning to ask something, Naruto," Shikamaru said, his voice never leaving it's usual lazy drawl, "but what are those 'attack' and 'defense' numbers supposed to mean? You gave my Springer a One, while Choji's Undergolem has a Four, and now Hokage-sama's Freelancer has a Three..."

Naruto blinked, "you know, I'm not entirely sure about the numbers either."

Cue face-fault.

"Sorry, sorry," he chuckled sheepishly, "I assumed it had something to do with the amount of damage it can dish out, or receive. A 'One' being about the same as a human child, a 'Two' would be about the same as teen or young adult, a 'Three' for a full-grown man, and 'Four' and up start getting into the super-human regions."

Shikamaru nodded from his new position on the floor, he didn't look like he was going to get up any time soon. "That does make sense, somewhat. Except that I've heard of Dad using Springer to bring down those full-grown men you mentioned."

Naruto shrugged, "like I said, I assumed. It was a guess at best, Shika."

This time Kakashi asked the question, "why not ask Arc-san?"

"I did."

"And?"

"She doesn't feel like telling me."

"What?"

"She doesn't feel like telling me."

"Can she do that?"

"Are_ you_ going to tell her, a spirit ancient beyond my current understanding, that she can't? A female one at that?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Ah, good point." Kakashi had the grace to look embarrassed.

Tsunade interrupted at that, "are you trying to say something about women, boys?"

Naruto grinned slyly, "of course not, Hokage-sama. I have the utmost respect for the female persuasion, given I have three powerful members directly behind me."

The woman nodded in smug satisfaction, "good."

"However," he continued as if she hadn't spoken, "you, of all people, can attest to the fact that anyone can be extremely stubborn when they wish. It becomes especially troublesome as we get older."

"Of course..." she paused as she realized she had just admitted to being an old and stubborn woman. She sighed, "dammit, Naruto. Can we get on with the explanation?"

"As you wish, Hokage-sama," he said with a grin. The remainder of the report wasn't really that long, though he had to include his little side-trip into the cave in Nami no Kuni. "Oh, that reminds me," Naruto said, as he opened the scroll case containing the loose papers. "I found a number of medical spells, I figured you'd be interested in them."

Taking the sheets in question, Tsunade looked at them quickly, then nodded and placed them into a concealed drawer. "I'll take a better look later. I assume that you've properly copied them into that first tome of yours?"

Naruto nodded once, "there were only three medical techniques, and they filled the tome's last pages. I'll get around to transcribing more spells when I have the time, and after I've gotten a good rest."

"Very good, Chunin. Anything else?"

Naruto thought quickly, "Aside from the fact that I'd like the chance to return to those two locations to retrieve the rest of the information there, nothing comes to mind. Oh, I wanted to see about declaring Uzu no Kuni as private land, since I'm the last known Uzumaki."

Tsunade nodded again. "Of course, we cannot simply leave such valuable information laying around. Take a week off, then report here fully outfitted for the task, I'll have the mission written up for you. As to Uzu no Kuni, you'll have to go through the Fire Daimyo for that, as Hi no Kuni claimed the rights to the land as sworn friends of the Uzumaki. Is that all then?"

_"No, there is one more thing,"_ A spectral voice called out, as Arc summoned herself from within her ring._ "What do you know of the human, Shimura Danzo?"_

**XXXXXXXX- Ending Notes -XXXXXXXX**

Oh boy, does Danzo already have Demigorgon? Or is it something he comes into later? The questions.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN:** My muse is running away on me. Unfortunate, but true. This doesn't mean I'm gonna stop writing, but it's definitely gonna slow me down.

A shout to my Beat, Dreaming of the Moon, as always. Don't let it get to your head.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own either Naruto or Huntik

**Chapter 08: Next Problem?**

"A 'small' piece of land, she said," Naruto muttered as he stared at the area his parents left him. "This... is not what I'd call 'small'... ever."

He was right, too. He was currently looking at an area just over twelve acres in size. It was mostly trees and shrubs, with a few streams running through, one medium-sized waterfall with a pool beneath it, and surrounded by hills. The land was originally one of the training grounds, but his parents seemingly took a liking to it, and thus decided they'd buy it.

Shrugging off his surprise, Naruto stared at the house plans that his parent's had been working on. They were huge! If he went through with this plan, it would cover the entire freaking area! Not to mention the_ height_ of the thing! Who needs a house three times taller than the Hokage Tower?!

"Mom, Dad, I know you loved me, and that's awesome, but_ this_ is simply too much!" Naruto said quietly.

"Hm, it seems they were planning to have quite a lot of people living here," Kurenai mused, looking at the plans from over his shoulder. "Either that, or they were looking rather far into the future."

_"Eh-heh,"_ Kushina's voice popped into Naruto's head with a sheepish tone,_ "we were actually planning to repopulate the Uzumaki ourselves. Then, when we knew you were on the way, we changed our plans a little to include you, too."_

Naruto's hand met his face hard, bringing questioning looks from the three women standing around him. "I'm modifying the plans. These would allow for the entirety of Edo* to live here comfortably!"

"That's a bit of an exaggeration, Naruto-sama," Haku pointed out softly. "Maybe the Daimyo and his court, with their aids and families, but certainly not all of Edo."

"That's still a rather large number of people, Haku-san," Hinata stated from her position, which was holding fast to Naruto's left arm.

"Yeah, well either way I'm still modifying these plans. Make them smaller at least, you know?" Naruto said, shaking his head a bit, "maybe I can get Tazuna to do this at a discount, or something."

Kurenai shrugged, the red kimono she was wearing opening slightly with the movement to show a bit more of her cleavage. "It's possible, Naruto-sama. Though, even if you can't convince him, I'm sure Tsunami-san could."

"True," Naruto agreed absentmindedly, still pouring over the plans and trying to modify them. Unfortunately for him, his mind was also still trapped by what Arc brought up in the meeting.

**XXXXXXXX- Flashback -XXXXXXXX**

_"What do you know of the human, Shimura Danzo?"_

Arc's sudden appearance surprised everyone, they hadn't know that a Titan could invoke themselves. Then the meaning of the question hit Tsunade with the force of her own punch, and the woman's eyes widened, even as her skin paled. If even a portion of what she'd heard so far was true...

"Are you telling me, Arc-san, that Danzo has this... 'Demigorgon'?" Receiving a nod she continued, "this Demigorgon in his possession?"

_" I do not know for certain, I have only seen flashes,"_ Arc admitted stoically,_ "however, I know that this Danzo, if he has acquired my brother's ring, is bound to try and siphon and copy Demigorgon's powers for his own purposes."_

"You don't know for certain?" Neji questioned, "but you were said to be the, and I quote: 'Legendary Titan of Fate'."

_"Contrary to the common misconception, the future is not immutable, young Hyuuga."_ Arc replied calmly, disregarding Neji's sudden stiffening,_ "the future is fluid, all things are moving toward the same destiny, but the paths they take to get there are their choices. Each time you make even the most basic of choices, such as choosing to be kind, you change your future slightly. What you humans perceive as 'Fate' is truly just the most likely set of events based on the current mindset you hold."_

"You mean, that while we may all hold the same end, death, the path we take to get there is of our own making?" Naruto asked, feeling clarification was required. If that was right, then everything he told Neji in the exams was true, they controlled their own fates.

_"Yes."_ She replied with no uncertainty. Why should she be uncertain? This was her domain after all.

"As fascinating as this is," Tsunade interrupted, "it's not the point. The idea of Danzo with the power of this, Demigorgon, whose title is 'Legendary Titan of Betrayal', is very concerning."'

_"Yes, it is. If Demigorgon has bonded to this human, he will have unlocked the ability to use Will Magic. On top of that, if he has bothered to collect any of our ancient knowledge, it's possible he might have come across a spell called 'Copypower'. I'll leave it to your imagination as to what that does."_ Arc said grimly.

Tsunade shuddered. "Copypower"? With the literal way things were going, there was no other way to translate that. If Danzo had the ability to copy Demigorgon's power, it could prove more than disastrous.

"Then we just have to meet with him." Naruto said, surprising everyone. "What? Arc can easily sense the presence of another of her kind. If we were to at least be in the same room as the man, she could tell me if he has Demigorgon or not."

Shikamaru blinked and looked at Arc for confirmation. When she nodded he felt the need to ask, "if you can sense other Titan's presences, then why was Naruto so surprised about Springer?"

_"I didn't bother to mention it. My Champion and I are still very new to this... partnership, as he calls it. I wasn't certain how he would take it."_ She replied easily, as though the answer should have been obvious.

Shikamaru sweatdropped. "Well, aside from that, it's not a bad plan. If Naruto was to, say, sit in on the next full Council meeting, Arc-san could see if she can sense her brother."

**XXXXXXXX- Flashback End -XXXXXXXX**

Naruto shook his head. Tsunade had agreed to the plan, as basic as it was, but she felt the need to throw him a couple of curve balls. The first being that he would need some kind of official reason to sit in on the session, so she asked him if he wanted to approach it as the Heir of Clan Uzumaki. Apparently his clan had an honorary seat on the Shinobi side of the council, something his mother had made sporadic use of.

In a way he was glad that it would be the Uzumaki side of his blood he would be representing, as he was still rather leery of the Namikaze name. He had been "Uzumaki" Naruto for so long now... it felt beyond strange, and a little wrong, to either ditch it or add something to it.

But then, Tsunade hit him with yet another bomb. And this one was a doozy.

**XXXXXXXX- Flashback -XXXXXXXX**

Tsunade had dismissed everyone but Naruto and his girls, the plan for him to take his place in the honorary seat was to take place in two days. She had asked him to remain behind just after Arc dismissed herself, and that had prompted him to keep the girls with him. He was paranoid, but not without reason.

Being singled out was never a good thing.

"Now, now, there's no need to worry, Naruto," Tsunade said, attempting to calm him down.

"Forgive me, Baa-chan, but it's never been a good thing to be singled out in my experience." He replied. It was true, the orphanage, the streets, the academy, no matter where it was, if he was asked to do something singly, it was probably not a good thing.

"Brat, I want you to read this." She slid a sheet of papers over to him.

Picking up the papers, he read them carefully. About half-way through he raised incredulous eyes to Tsunade.

"These are..."

"Adoption papers, yes." She said with a small smile on her face.

"Someone actually wants to adopt the 'Demon Brat'?" He said, disbelief coloring his tone.

"Yep. I can guarantee they're honest about it."

He snorted, "yeah, right."

Her eyebrow twitched, "keep reading, Gaki."

For his continued good health, Naruto decided to follow that order. Continuing on, he got to the final page, where the signatures were. When his eyes fell on the name of the person who supposedly wanted him, his eyes widened and flew back to Tsunade.

"You?"

"Me."

"Why?"

"I want to."

"Uh-huh. Try again."

"Dammit, Naruto! Stop being so damned stubborn!" Tsunade shouted, smashing her fist on her desk. "Is it so hard to believe that I actually_ want_ to adopt you?"

"Yes."

"Is it really any stranger than three beautiful women suddenly pledging themselves to you?" She asked.

That made him pause. Was it any stranger? Not really, it was about the same level. It was just that he was so used to being an orphan, and having his every opportunity at being happy blocked, that he found the idea of having at least a real mother -even an adopted one- to be something of a pipe-dream.

"Can I take some time to think about it?" He asked. He needed time. Time to sort out his thoughts, and time to talk to Kushina's spirit at length about this subject. This was not something he would just jump into.

"Of course. Though I'd appreciate an answer before I have to ship you out again." Tsunade replied gently.

"Then, if that is all, I think we will excuse ourselves."

**XXXXXXXX- Flashback End -XXXXXXXX**

Yeah,_ that_ little episode still bounced around in his skull. It wasn't unwelcome, and the idea of having someone to hug and call "Mother" filled his heart with an ache every orphan knew intimately. The hope of a family, it was perhaps his greatest desire.

Shaking his head again, Naruto looked at the women around him. Haku would need a place to stay, and his current apartment was barely big enough for him. Maybe Kurenai could take her in? Then there was Hinata...

Now there was a can of worms waiting to be opened. He still had to deal with her Clan, and the potential fallout therein. That was not a fun idea.

Sighing, Naruto shook his head again. He was doing that a great deal these days. "Alright, first up is how we're to bunk up until the new place is finished... Kurenai, what are you doing?"

Said woman was going through hand seals, and her eyes were glowing brightly. That was odd, few people had reason for their eyes to glow like that. The Hyuuga didn't, the veins around their eyes distended. The Uchiha didn't, they just changed over from black to red. Actually, now that he thought about it, he didn't know of anyone whose eyes glowed like that.

"I felt the presence of a genjutsu, Naruto-sama. I am currently attempting to find it," she explained, her eyes roving the field. "Believe it or not, while not related to the Uchiha, despite the red eyes, the Yuhi are intimately familiar with the concept of 'seeing through'. Our eyes, when charged correctly, allow us to see where a wide-area genjutsu was placed."

Naruto blinked. Then blinked again. That seriously sounded a great deal like one of the Sharingan's attributes. Only that instead of seeing through the jutsu, and then being able to copy it, this just allowed one to see where a genjutsu was located. So rather than "seeing through", it was more like "recognizing".

Damn, that sounded useful.

He waited a few more moments, before asking, "so... anything interesting?"

"Yes, there's something shimmering behind the waterfall." She replied, eyes focused. "I can't say anything more than the fact it's strong, but there's definitely something there."

"Well then, let's take a closer look. Depending on what we find, we may be able to ignore the Hyuuga issue for today," he said with a grimace. He really did not want to deal with Hinata's clan after everything else that had already happened that day.

Leading the group over the falls, it was a rather lengthy time. Not unexpected considering the size of the area. Approaching the waterfall, though, Naruto didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Just solid rock.

He facepalmed. Which is what a good genjutsu is supposed to do! Imitate the look, and possibly the feel, of the substance it was supposed to look like! Hell, even the waters of the pool didn't give anything away, rippling like they were supposed to.

Sighing, Naruto placed his hand on the rock wall, and slowly moved it in toward the water. Suddenly his hand dipped through seemingly solid stone, and he nodded in satisfaction.

"Here we are..." he muttered to himself, casting out further with his already submerged hand for the opposite tunnel wall. Assuming it_ was_ a tunnel, and not just some really freaking wide hallway. Not feeling anything, Naruto shrugged and stepped into the false rock.

A step more and he was through, facing a nice, wide,_ tunnel_. Joy. Reaching one hand back through the illusion, he waved the girls to follow and started down the path. A path he noted was lit sparingly by those same damned magic-sensitive crystals! Each one lighting up at their presence, and dying down once they were far enough past.

Okay, now_ that_ was a good use for those things.

A few minutes of walking along a rather twisting pathway, and the group emerged into a large, sunlight cavern where a relatively small, two-story house sat surrounded by a wild bed of flowers. It was a rather traditional Japanese design with shoji* doors, enameled rosewood supports, and the Uzumaki crest sitting on a plaque above the main entrance. It looked like it could comfortably fit about six people, or in this case, the four of them and the virtual library's-worth of information they brought back with them.

_"I completely forgot about this place,"_ Kushina's voice rang inside Naruto's head._ "Great-Aunt Mito had this house built for me when I came to Konoha, and I moved it here after Minato and I bought the land. I hadn't lived in it since a few months before you were conceived, but I do remember Minato complaining about having trouble setting up the plumbing."_

"Well, that explains so much," Naruto muttered. He had always wondered where he got his habit of rambling thoughts, and now he knew, it was from his dear Mother. Joy.

"What was that, Naruto-sama?" Haku asked, not quite having caught what he said.

"Nothing, never mind, Haku-chan." He said, waving it off, "it looks like we have a place to stay, Ladies."

"Indeed, Naruto-sama." Kurenai said with a firm nod. It looked like a good place, most likely in need of a thorough cleaning, but a good place nonetheless. And those flowerbeds needed immediate tending, obviously having been neglected for the better part of sixteen years.

"Well then, shall we get settled in?" Naruto asked rhetorically, already moving toward the entrance way.

Upon reaching the door, however, Naruto took note that there was yet another crystal set in each of the surrounding support beams that lit up at his presence, and another one directly beside where one would normally find a latch. On a hunch, he touched it while channeling a minute amount of magic, and heard a click sound.

_"Huh, a magical lock. That's useful."_

_"Indeed,"_ came Kushina's voice again, sounding somewhat reminiscing._ "This house was built by Seekers, for Seekers. Only those with magic can enter."_

_"Such an interesting place, and fairly secure in this world that has all but forgotten Magic, save for bedtime stories."_ Arc mused, her voice echoing from within Naruto's mind.

"Ah well, who cares right now? We got some unpacking to do, Ladies!" And with that, Naruto led the way into the house to get everything worked out and up to speed. He'd be living there for the foreseeable future, so he might as well make himself comfortable.

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

"Shut up, Ino-pig! There's no way that Naruto-baka could be that good! If anyone is, it's Sasuke-kun! Naruto-baka's such an idiot that he can't even bring Sasuke-kun back to the village where he belongs! Not that I expected any different from the Dead-last idiot! Always failing the simplest of tasks!" Sakura spewed viciously.

She had been going on and on in the same vein for nearly a half-hour now, and Ino was starting to wonder just what the hell had turned her former best friend into such a mindless fan girl. The pink-haired girl was even saying things that were so ridiculous that Ino honestly had a hard time from grabbing the nearest two-by-four, whether it was in a wall or not, and clubbing her former friend into a coma.

"Face it, Ino-pig, Naruto-baka's just an idiot! Hell, Konoha only exists because Sasuke-kun needed a place to be born!-"*

_**SLAM!**_

Well, there went Ino's last vestige of self-control, but she doubted anyone would blame her. Really? "Konoha only exists because of Sasuke"? How, in the Nine Hells, did that pink-haired harpy come to that idea? It was so far_ beyond_ stupid that it sounded like something Ino might hear from an ignorant civilian!

Blinking back tears of frustration, for a lost time where they were happy, Ino spoke to Sakura's now-unconscious form as she carried her former friend home. "I don't know what happened to you, Sakura, but whatever was left of my friend is obviously gone. I was just trying to help you, but you wouldn't listen, even though it's for your own good. Even_ I_ listen when my friends tell me something. So this is goodbye, Sakura."

With that said, Ino leaned Sakura up against the girl's front door, rang the bell, and left. She really didn't feel like seeing Sakura's mother right now, because she didn't want to be the one to explain to the woman just how foolish Sakura was being over everything.

So Ino left. She had to talk about this with someone, but Sakura wasn't willing to listen, or even think of anything outside of Konoha's newest traitor. This left Ino with few options, she could try for a session with the Hokage, or talk to her father.

As she walked she mulled over her choices._ 'Let's see... Hokage, or Daddy? Hm... Well, Tsunade-sama might have more information, but she's also probably insanely busy. Though she'd probably thank me for a break from all that paperwork I saw earlier during the debriefing... Daddy it is!'_

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

Hyuuga Hiashi was not a happy man at the moment. No, not a happy man at all. He stared around the Hyuuga Meeting Hall at the gathered Clan Council, which consisted of notable members from both the Main and Branch sides of the clan. Mostly elderly and retired former shinobi andkunoichi, they were his advisers.

However, at that particular moment in time, Hiashi was not pleased with something they decided to do behind his back. He had_ just_ learned of his council's attempt to kill his eldest daughter, his Heir, by sending her out on a mission without proper equipment, or even proper permission from the Hokage! Let alone the fact that his daughter was still suffering from his nephew's attempt on her life just a month prior in the preliminaries of the third stage of the Chunin Exam!

Hiashi would be the first to admit that he was not the best father, probably not even a good one considering just how long it took him to notice Hinata's lack of presence in the compound and ask about it, but he loved his daughters. They were all that was left of his beloved wife, who had passed away mysteriously sometime after their second child's birth. The fact that his council went behind his back to send his eldest child on a suicide mission infuriated him enough to lose the perfect poise he otherwise always held.

Hyuuga Hiashi was current towering over the kneeling members of his council, the very picture of towering fury and implacable rage. He was the calm before the storm, he was the quiet that preceded the earthquake, the hush before the forest fire. He. Was._** Pissed!**_

"Would someone mind telling me, why you felt the need to not only go behind my back to send Hinata out on a mission not fully recovered, thus risking her life in the process, but also to_ forge the Hokage's Seal?!_" He roared as he held up a scroll that had been delivered to him not an hour previously, detailing Hinata's report on the mission, including the now-obviously-faked mission scroll she had received from the Elders and the Hyuuga Council.

Only one member of the Council was not visibly cowed in the face of the Head of the Clan's anger, Hyuuga Hiroto, Hiashi's own father. "Because the child is weak and needs to die!" The elderly man sneered, "we at least offered her a way of dying with honor and dignity! As a_ use_ to Konoha, instead of a burden! That child could never lead the Clan!"

In the blink of an eye, Hiroto found himself pinned to the back wall by his neck, Hiashi's hand gripping firmly, cutting off his air. "That is my daughter you speak of! Your own granddaughter! And you tried to kill her!"

Hiroto managed to pry enough room for a ragged breath, "she is weak, and needs to die before she brings further shame to this clan!"

Hiashi shook his head, "no, Father, it is you who are weak. I see it now, Hinata, like her mother, wishes to abolish the Caged Bird Seal. While you, so set in your ways, wish to keep to such an out-dated tradition, fracturing this family further and further."

The Branch members of the Hyuuga Council started in surprise. Hinata wanted to abolish the Caged Bird Seal? Her mother, Hitomi, wanted to do so as well?

While it wouldn't instantly fix everything, it would go a long way to end the division within the Clan, and garner the former Branch members' gratitude. Hinata would no doubt be the most popular and beloved Head that the Hyuuga had ever seen, outside of the staunch traditionalists.

And this old fool wanted her death?! Oh, this would not be allowed to stand! The eldest of theBranch House stood to his feet, his face a mask of horror and rage. "Hiroto, you fool! We finally have a heir willing to bring the Clan together, and you want to kill her just to keep these antiquated ideas?! I'll admit my personal bias in this, I hate the seal with every fiber of my being, but you told us this plan of yours was to further bring the Houses together, not continue to tear them apart!"

"That's exactly why I did it, you imbecile!" Hiroto retorted harshly as Hiashi allowed him a bit more air, "that foolish bleeding-heart girl will bring this clan to ruin! The only way for us to truly unite the Houses, is for the Branch House to forget this foolish idea that they are in any way equal to the Main House, and submit!"

"I believe I've heard enough, Hiroto," Hiashi said, a calmness entering his voice as the door to the room opened, revealing three Anbu members. "If this was purely within the Clan I would have simply killed you and been done with it. You forged the Hokage's Seal, however, which puts you under her jurisdiction to punish. Anbu, take this filth from my presence, and relay my deepest apologies to Hokage-sama along with my assurance that I will be seeking an audience with her in the morning to advance this case properly."

The Anbu, Tori, taking charge of the elder man simply nodded, quickly attaching a Chakra Suppression Seal on him, and roughly pulling Hiroto to his feet. Flanked by his squad mates, Tori utilized a leaf Shunshin and disappeared.

Hiashi looked over the gathered elders again, and closed the door. "Now, each of you will tell me, individually, what you had to do with Hiroto's plot against my daughter. Let's begin with you, Branch Elder Jiro..."

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

Tsunade stared at the man sitting across the desk from her with something akin to shock. "Hyuuga Hiashi, I must admit I never expected this from anyone in your clan, let alone you."

Hiashi simply sat in his chair, calmly gazing at his Hokage. "Believe me when I say I'm rather surprised myself, Tsunade-sama. After hearing the individual testimonies of my advisers, I have decided to honor and accept Hinata's Oath of Servitude to Uzumaki Naruto. In addition, and I shall only say it once more, my deepest apologies are given to you and Hinata for not seeing this happening sooner."

Tsunade nodded, her shock at the situation within the Hyuuga slowly waning. "I understand, Hiashi. On my own behalf, I accept the apology of the Hyuuga Clan Head. I cannot speak for young Hinata, however. Though I assume that steps are being taken to keep this from happening again?"

The man nodded, "in deference, and as a visible apology, the Caged Bird Seal is being removed from the Branch members as we speak. I personally perused the original seal we created, and discovered it was a far cry from what we have been using for centuries. It seems that at some point in our history one of our ancestors twisted the original seal, which used to be applied to every Hyuuga member regardless of birth. It will take some years, but I am pushing for the original seal's reinstatement, and have undergone it's application myself."

Tsunade raised a very surprised set of eyebrows, her eyes widening in further shock. If the sudden smirk on Hiashi's face was any indication, he fully relished the sight of her surprise. Though hedid stand, turn around, and lift his long hair away from his neck to reveal the seal he spoke of.

It was a small thing, one she probably wouldn't have noticed if she wasn't looking for it. As he sat back down, Tsunade couldn't hold back a grin. "I believe that alone will go a long way toward healing the rift within your clan."

Hiashi inclined his head in recognition of her words. "It is a start, Tsunade-sama, nothing more. I simply decided to be the example in this instance."

She nodded, "I'm sure Hinata will appreciate that, and the steps you are taking."

"I can only hope, Tsunade-sama. It appears I have unintentionally alienated my own daughter, and entirely through neglect. This is but a small step toward making things right, assuming I can."

Tsunade tried to reassure him, "Hinata's a kind girl, I'm sure she'll forgive you in time."

He shook his head slightly, "perhaps, but I doubt I'll ever be able to forgive myself."

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

Hinata was staring at a message from Tsunade, and she couldn't believe her eyes. Her dream of banishing the application of the Caged Bird Seal was now realized. Her own father was the experiment for the original seal meant for_ all_ the members to have.

Tears of joy running down her face, Hinata collapsed into the supportive arms of her new Sisters and Master. The relief she felt flowing through her was immense, and she simply couldn't hold herself up any longer. Her clan was healing.

Naruto smiled and kissed her temple, "it's starting, Hinata-chan. Everything is changing. A new world is forming, and we stand as the Vanguard to the changes that are about to occur."

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

In an underground complex of tunnels and rooms, Shimura Danzo, one-time contender for the position of Sandaime Hokage, sat in silent study of an odd ring placed upon his desk in a small, velvet-lined box. The ring was primarily gold with a large purple stone and two spiraling horn-like protrusions from one end. The stone glowed with an inner life that fascinated the elderly man, but he dared not touch it for fear of it doing something to his mind.

Slowly he closed the lid of the box. He would have to see what his older records could dredge up about this object. He would not be like Hiruzen, blindly trusting that everything and everyone not immediately a threat was beneficial. No, he would not approach this carelessly, despite the nearly irresistible allure the ring gave off.

But he would resist it. He was Shimura Danzo, Shinobi no Yami, and he_ would_ be Hokage!

Checking the time, he absentmindedly placed the small box within his robes.

It was almost time for the next Council Meeting for Konoha's continued efforts in rebuilding.Maybe this time the fools would actually listen to his advice. Konoha needed to be strong in this time of vulnerability! The best way to assure that would be to cause strife in other countries, so they couldn't afford to try the same in Konoha.

_'Everything I do is so that the Great Tree of Konoha may prosper as it should.'_

**XXXXXXXX- Ending Notes -XXXXXXXX**

Well, how about that? Hiashi's not such prick after all! Nowhere near Dad of the Year, but he's not Asshole of the Year either.

*Edo: I know this is the old name for Tokyo. I'm using it for the name of Hi no Kuni's capital city.

*Shoji: sliding rice-paper screen doors on traditional Japanese houses. Not to be confused with Shogi.

*Honestly... at that moment in Sakura's vitriol I was incapable of taking myself seriously as a person with an IQ over 100. I had to stop, I just couldn't continue as I couldn't lower my IQ any further! So I'll be redressing this next chapter! I swear to you, I will not let this stupidity stand! Especially since I myself hate bashing characters for no reason.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN:** Okay, I've been asked, repeatedly, "when is the next chapter coming out"? I thought I made it perfectly clear that this is a side project, something I work on when I have no ideas for one of my other stories. That isn't likely to change as I pretty much have to make up everything that has to happen. I'm hardly going to allow myself to be bound by Canon here, so I have to go off the reservation, so to speak.

In other words: patience, I'll update when I update, and nothing you say will get it done any faster.

Thanks to Dreaming of the Moon for his Beta work again.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own either Naruto or Huntik

**Chapter 09: Politics, the Most Annoying!**

Naruto stood uncomfortably amidst the gathered Konoha Council. He never liked being singled out, and with all eyes on him he was definitely feeling singled out. The fact that he was standing alone was a moot point.

His girls were waiting outside, to stand as "character witnesses" due to this meeting being called to verify his claim to the Uzumaki and Namikaze names, officially at least. It didn't really matter to him if he took the Namikaze name, he had been "Uzumaki" for too damned long to change it now. So he pretty much had every intention of not bothering with his father's name.

The doors opened, breaking Naruto from his train of thought, and showing Tsunade entering. It was almost time for the meeting to begin, but Danzo wasn't present yet. At least, Naruto didn't think he was. There certainly wasn't anyone who looked like a crippled old man, which was how Danzo was described to him.

_'Oh, there he is. Limping and leaning on that cane just enough to give the impression of an injured old man doing his duty, but there's also the slightest hint of an arrogant swagger. Gotta be him,'_ Naruto thought as the door opened again to admit the seemingly-crippled elder, who seemed somewhat surprised by Naruto's presence.

_"It is there, Champion. My brother's ring is hidden within the robes he wears,"_ Arc said softly, whispering within the vaults of Naruto's mind.

_"Well, isn't that convenient? He actually brought it with him,"_ Naruto replied._ "I'll admit that I didn't think he would."_

_"Some people simply do not allow an unknown out of their sight if they can help it"_ Arc said.

That was true, as unknowns often represented a dangerous element. If you didn't know about your people, there was the chance that one of them was a spy. If you didn't know what a particular seal did, you could blow yourself up when you tried to make it. If you don't know how to use a weapon, you have just as much of a chance to harm your allies as you do the enemy. In that regard alone, Danzo's decision to bring Demigorgon's ring with him was technically correct.

Too bad that was a technicality, and Danzo had yet another "unknown" to deal with: Naruto's own natural ability to be unpredictable. There was no way for Danzo to know that Naruto had a kind of "Titan Sensor" in the form of Arc. There was no way for him to know that Naruto already knew more about the ring in Danzo's possession than Danzo knew.

"Alright, let's get things started. The first item on today's agenda is-" Tsunade started, but was cut off by one of the Elders, Mitokado Homura.

"Excuse me, Tsunade, but what is young Uzumaki doing here? He has no business in Council affairs."

"I was getting to that!" Tsunade snapped at him, "The first item on today's list is the acknowledgment of Uzumaki Naruto's parentage. With the success of two extra B-ranked missions*, Uzumaki Naruto has been approved for his Chunin vest, and as such has achieved the requirements left in his parent's wills."

"His parents?" the aged man asked.

"Yes, Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato."

Silence descended like the stone covering of a tomb. Awkward tension filled the air as the three different councils struggled to come to terms with the abrupt, and fairly obvious, revelation. Naruto was only interested in one person's reaction: Shimura Danzo.

The old man looked surprised, like the rest of the room, but Naruto could see underneath that surprise to a simmering anger._ 'So this is something the man didn't want getting out, eh? Maybe he wanted to dangle it in front of me down the line, a carrot to motivate me to do things for him? It would fit the profile Tsunade-baa-chan gave me on him.'_

_"I never liked that old goat,"_ Kushina said,_ "I always felt that he was plotting something for me behind my back."_

_'Shush, I'm trying to pay attention.'_

"With all due respect, Hokage-sama, but are you certain?" Utatane Koharu asked tentatively, which was a first for many in the room. For as long as Tsunade had known of Koharu, the older woman had always acted in a controlled and confident fashion.

"I have here both the marriage certificate, and Naruto's own birth certificate, signed and witnessed by both the Sandaime and my old teammate, Jiraiya. The Sandaime had them hidden away." Tsunade replied as she pulled a folder from... somewhere. Naruto wasn't quite certain where, but he didn't want to think about it either as it_ looked_ like she produced it from within her cleavage.

As she passed it down to the Clan Heads, who represented the Shinobi Council, Naruto's attention was focused on Danzo, who existed in his peripheral vision. He didn't want to stare directly at the man, so he kept his eyes trained on Tsunade, but he did want to keep him in mind. So long as Danzo didn't move...

A flicker of light, the briefest of motion, and Naruto was certain that the man sitting in place at the table was no long the real Shimura Danzo. Kage Bunshin, or even just a flunky in a Henge, Naruto didn't know. Nor did he care.

He raised a finger, pointing it in the direction of the false Danzo, "Boltflare!"

Immediately a small orb of electrical light shot across the room, piercing the fake man, and leaving nothing but a cloud of smoke in its wake. The tell-tale sign of the Kage Bunshin left a retreating Danzo in full view against one wall, his concentration slipping just enough to lose control of his escape technique.

Chaos erupted in the chamber, Anbu members attempting to restore order to no avail. In the midst of it, Naruto stood still, his gaze boring holes into the elder's eye. He raised one hand to the amulet around his neck.

"Strike Swiftly, Kunoichi!"

In the same instant as the name was intoned, Danzo found himself lacking his hidden right arm. Holding the bleeding stump with his left, he saw the blade of an incomparably sharp sword pointed at his nose. his eyes traced the length of the blade, up the handle, along the cloth-clad arm, to a mask-hidden face, four eye-holes burning red with what he presumed to be rage, matching the motion of the person's swaying red hair. The hair was even going so far as to separate itself into what seemed to be nine lashing tails.

Wait... red hair? Lashing tails?

"Uzumaki Kushina?"

The whisper of the name from Danzo's lips brought a halt to everything in the room. The female Titan flicked her sword down too quickly for any eye to follow, laying open Danzo's robe and revealing the small box. Without further word, she reached down, plucking the box away from the old man, and tossed it through the air to land in Naruto's hand.

"Yes, and no, Shimura Danzo." Naruto said quietly, his voice easily heard in the silence of the moment. "Kunoichi is a being filled with my mother's will and desire to protect me."

In an instant, the bandages wrapped around Danzo's right eye were ripped from his head, exposing a wide open Mangekyou Sharingan eye. It was one quite a few people in the room recognized, and it was spinning lazily.

"Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyou!" Inuzuka Tsume shouted in shock.

The surprise in the room jumped greatly. Uchiha Shisui, also known as Shunshin no Shisui, was something of a minor legend for Konoha's shinobi corps. The man was famous for his ability to utilize the Shunshin, a slow-to-activate jutsu, in his battles. How he unlocked his Mangekyou was hardly public record, being mission-related if the record was to be believed, but the fact he_ had_ one was relatively well-known among his fellow shinobi.

It's ability was even somewhat infamous: a genjutsu that could alter someone's personality and views without their ever knowing; Kotoamatsukami. One of the most frightening parts of this genjutsu was the fact that it didn't require eye contact like the rest of the illusions that one could cast with a Sharingan. Of course there was a large drawback as well, namely in that it could only be used every so often. Shisui was said to be limited to once a year.

Naruto had read everything he could get his hands on about the Uchiha clan, and their abilities. This was why he knew about the Mangekyou, if not how to achieve it. However, when his mother's spirit took up residence in his head, he had talked to her about it as well. Together they theorized that the full power of Kotoamatsukami might very well require a year to recharge, perhaps as much as ten years in a non-Uchiha host, but small-scale things might be more frequently used.

Such as the outcomes of Council votes. Especially if used on weak minded civilians, who had no training what-so-ever against mind altering techniques.

"Kunoichi, remove it please."

In the same instant, the eye was plucked neatly from Danzo's right eye socket, the old man not even feeling the pain of it's removal for several seconds. Though he refused to cry out in pain even when he did finally feel the eye's removal.

Stubborn old bastard.

"ANBU! Restrain Danzo immediately under suspicion of Treason!" Tsunade commanded, and upon seeing her orders obeyed, she turned her attention to Naruto with a questioning look, "How did you know about the right arm?"

Naruto shrugged, "I didn't." He said bluntly, causing a round of sweatdrops, even as he quickly placed the liberated eye into a jar filled with a preservative solution, "Kunoichi just picked a target on her own. It could be that she felt the arm's hidden presence, or it could be just a fluke. I don't know, and right now isn't the time to find out."

"No, you're right about that," the blonde woman muttered. "Very well, Uzumaki Naruto, we will table the discussion of your-," she hesitated a moment, "Guardian's abilities for a later date."

Naruto bowed slightly, just enough to show his respect, "As you wish, Hokage-sama."

Staring hard at Danzo's bleeding form, bleeding that was slowly tapering off due to rough field treatment performed by one of the Anbu, Tsunade couldn't stop herself from saying, "It's too bad he's too much of a hard case to crack under interrogation. I'd give a lot to know just what he's all done in his twisted love for Konoha."

"Is that all?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow, "How much of a concession are we talking about, Hokage-sama?"

The busty woman blinked, "You mean you have a way to get that information?"

Naruto nodded, and waved Kurenai to stand beside him. "Kurenai possess a being like my Kunoichi, only focused toward the mental arts. I have no doubt that it can retrieve the information you desire."

"Troublesome," came the catchphrase of the Nara clan. "Just say it out loud, Uzumaki, she possesses a Titan. Like I myself once did, before passing it to Shikamaru."

Naruto turned his head and inclined it in respect toward the dark haired man, "As you wish, Nara-san. Kurenai possesses the Legendary Titan of Mind, Araknos. Whose abilities include those of mind-reading, and mind-control. Not so fine a control as Shisui's Mangekyou, however. At least, not as far as I know."

"Better, Naruto-sama." Kurenai interjected softly.

As softly spoken as it was, it nonetheless was heard clearly. Naruto face-palmed, this was_ so_ not the best time to mention that!

"Though for that level, it has to be a willing subject," she continued, just as quietly. "It must be willing, or it will break the person it is used upon. I would also need to be almost close enough to touch, and a significant amount of time. Time that anyone could use to disrupt me."

That statement caused tensed shoulders to relax. They had just dealt with one form of mind-control, only to learn there was another? That idea did not sit well with the Shinobi Clan Heads. The list of requirements for it to succeed, though, set them at ease.

_"Really, such a bunch of ninnies!"_

Everyone froze.

They turned as one to Kunoichi who stood with her hands on her hips, and a distinctly unimpressed frown on her lips. They blinked at her, she stared back. Tsume raised one finger to point in her direction, and she returned the gesture with obvious sarcasm.

"YOU TALK!"

_"Oh my, yes. Why, I can even form full sentences so as to make certain I'm not misunderstood."_

Tsume's finger seemed to wilt, "Ah, yes, but-!" She stopped to draw breath, "But Fenris definitely never spoke!"

_"Fenris is a dog. With incredibly sharp teeth, and a muzzle. Together those do not enable it to speak as a human would. I am not a dog, wolf, or other beast. I am a 'human' model. Different rules apply, Tsume."_

"Oh."

_"Aside from that, I am newly made. I have not had multiple Masters, nor have I been around for centuries. As such I have not fallen to the instincts of the Titan, but we all speak, after a fashion. Fenris does as a wolf would, with snarls, barks, and body postures."_

Naruto clapped his hands, "Ladies, as interesting as this could be, perhaps we could focus on the task at hand? Namely, whether or not information retrieved through Araknos would be admissible."

Honestly, as funny as it would be to watch a brash person like Tsume taken down in a verbal spar, there were more important things to do. Though Naruto did file away Kunoichi's ability to speak for later reference. As far as he had known, she couldn't do that, though he'd also admit the he hadn't asked.

He shook his head, the Clan Heads were quietly discussing the topic of Araknos' ability. Even a few civilians were getting in on it. Purely from an information-gathering standpoint, the ability wasn't much different from the Yamanaka's techniques. So it wasn't the ethics they were discussing, but rather the reliability and impartiality of Araknos. Considering at least two of the people in that group had had Titans before passing them on to their children, it was highly possible that they might consider it inadmissible due to a Titan's loyalty being to it's Seeker instead of Konoha.

Yamanaka Inoichi stepped out from the group, "We will accept the testimony of Araknos through Jonin Yuhi."

Naruto sweatdropped. Okay, maybe they_ would_ allow it. He also had to wonder what they were going to do about Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyou Sharingan.

_'Meh. We'll get to it eventually, I suppose.'_

Naruto watched as Kurenai approached the bound Danzo, her right hand bearing Araknos' ring glowing a deep red. "Don't worry, Elder. As long as you don't struggle, this won't hurt a bit."

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

In the end Danzo struggled greatly, causing no small amount of pain which in turn brought a level of satisfaction to the faces of the Shinobi Council. No one liked traitors, especially when their very Academy taught the lessons of a united whole. The fact that one of their own would so easily disregard those self-same lessons in favor of personal justice was more than a little irksome.

Finally Kurenai disengaged her hand from the older ninja with a grimace of distaste, as though she had touched something particularly offensive. Waving her hand as if to rid it of some unseen contamination, she said, "It is official, Hokage-sama, that is a_ very_ diseased mind. Araknos had trouble actually bringing himself to touch it. However, there is no doubt that this man is guilty of breaking several of Konoha's laws in favor of his personal judgment. Not the least of which were orders to infiltrate Uzushiogakure, and open the gates for the invading armies; the plotting to overthrow the Sandaime and Yondaime Hokage, in favor of placing himself in the position; the leaking of S-class and lesser secrets to enemy nations for his own gain, both financial and otherwise; the organization of multiple mobs of civilians and ninja to assault Naruto-sama when he was younger; willingly cooperating with known Missing-nin, Orochimaru; desecration of Senju Hashirama's grave site; and the manipulation of both people and information that led to the Uchiha Massacre. Perhaps the worst part of it all, Hokage-sama, is that he firmly believed his actions to be to Konoha's greater benefit. In his own way, he was proving his love of this village."

Tsunade blinked, blinked again, dropped her jaw, and generally looked like someone had hit her in the head with a telephone pole. A unique position for her, considering her penchant for punching people, typically Jiraiya, through walls. In light of that, this was a rather novel feeling for the busty blonde woman, one she was quite certain she did not enjoy.

She wasn't alone in her reaction either. Danzo's fellow Elders also had their jaws on the floor, their minds remembering a myriad of times where they had intended to vote one way on a subject, only to suddenly think the other was more compelling. They hadn't thought anything of it at that time, but with all of this new information those choices were cast in an entirely different light. They had been manipulated into following Danzo's schemes without their knowledge for years now, and it took the pariah of the village to show them.

Tsunade shook herself, doing very interesting things to her body that drew the eye of every straight man and lesbian woman in the room; some were discrete, others less so. Most of those looking were glad that she only took notice of Jiraiya's incredibly open leering gaze, especially when she decided to deck him with a solid blow to the top of his head.

Winces abounded throughout the room. There was a certain amount of sympathy for the old ninja, but pretty much everyone rationalized that it was an old routine between the two and he'd be fine in a few moments.

He always was.

Tsunade took several minutes to collect herself, and make sure she wasn't going to do anything she might possibly regret. "Are you telling me, Jonin Yuhi, that this man is guilty of_ at least seven capital crimes?!_"

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade drew herself up, squaring her shoulders and looking at Danzo much like she would at a germ. "Anbu! Take this piece of garbage to Torture and Interrogation, let Ibiki know he can go all out on this one. Jonin Yuhi!" She continued as the masked ninjas vanished with the former Elder, "I trust you can have a full report of what you managed to drag out of his mind on my desk by noon tomorrow?"

Despite the questioning tone it was not a request, and Kurenai knew it. So she did the only thing she could: she nodded firmly. She would be up all night writing that report, but she would have the information in the Hokage's hands by the specified time. She may be Naruto's servant now, but she was also a jonin of Konoha, and as such the Hokage owned a portion of her loyalty.

"Good, now let's get ourselves back on track!" Tsunade said, clapping her hands to get things rolling again. Order restored itself rather quickly as the different sides of Konoha's Council sorted themselves out and retook their respective places.

Things proceeded smoothly for Naruto from there, the combined Council unanimously voting to restore him to his parent's Heir, even if he was the last of either family that anyone knew of. He may not care much about the Namikaze name, but it was part of his father's legacy, just like him, and so he would hardly abandon it. He wouldn't carry it in his name, but he made a concession that any of his children would be allowed to take it up if they so chose.

The Council did manage to surprise him when Hiashi brought up that Hinata, Haku, and Kurenai were bound to him under ancient laws. The man then led the assemblage in recognizing them as Naruto's wives, or perhaps concubines as they weren't legally married. The distinction was a fine line. As far as those laws were concerned the three women were his wives the moment they swore to serve him in any capacity he desired of them. The Oath was so old that few even knew it still existed, and it was just Naruto's luck that he found three of those few. However, Hiashi pushed through that Konoha should recognize the Oath as a binding Wedding Vow, and as such Naruto found himself with three wives.

Unfortunately for Naruto, Tsunade still knew of several old Uzumaki traditions, one of which was used to allow him up to three wives so as to provide more care for the children. He groaned lowly at the realization that his clan practiced polygamy. Thankfully, at least in his humble opinion, three was also the maximum amount by those same traditions. So he wouldn't have to deal with any potential political wives on top of them, though he realized that some other nations might decide to try and have their kunoichi seduce him simply to start their own branches of the Uzumaki.

_'They can try, but they will not succeed.'_ Naruto thought grimly.

"Clan traditions are challenged often, though!" Inuzuka Tsume said loudly. Her own clan was actually known for challenging traditions, namely their own. Hardly a generation went by where some old unspoken and unwritten rule wasn't overturned in some way. "It is possible that another village will challenge the Uzumaki traditions as well! Let's face it, the Uzumaki were never really ones to follow the rules."

"True enough, Inuzuka-san," Naruto began, only to stop. He was going to say that the Uzumaki held to tradition, but he'd be lying his ass off. So he settled for, "However, I have no intention of deviating from these three. Besides, that same tradition states that any newcomer must have the approval of all the current wives."

The woman blinked, "So anyone else trying to make you hers, would need Hinata's, Haku's,_ and_ Kurenai's permission?"

"Exactly." He said in satisfaction, "Quite literally, if they want to get to me, they'll have to go through them."

Tsume made an O with her lips. That was quite the safety mechanism. The likelihood of all three women agreeing to share their man with a fourth woman wasn't really very high. Probably non-existent, in all honesty.

"Wait," the Inuzuka Head lifted her hand, "What if another woman decides to swear one of those oaths? Wouldn't that preclude permission?"

"Should another woman follow that route, first I would need to accept the oath," Naruto replied. "And while it would bypass the wives' choice, it does not necessarily mean I would use her in that manner. On top of that, if they use that method to get close to me, their former allegiance becomes null."

"Ah," was the woman's response. What more could she say? The points were valid.

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

"Oof!" Naruto grunted as he sat down heavily on the couch in his new living room, arms thrown up and over the top. Damn he was tired! Kurenai had headed to her room to write up all the information she and Araknos had gleaned from Danzo's mind, while Hinata went for the kitchen to prepare dinner.

"Are you alright, Naruto-sama?" Haku asked worriedly.

He waved off her concern, "I'm just tired, Haku-chan. I had hoped it wouldn't take nearly so long, but it's late evening now, and we started at what? Noon?"

"Oh-eight-thirty, Naruto-sama." The girl corrected him.

He sighed, "That's even longer than I thought. On top of that, they even decided to recognize you three as my official wives! Not that I mind," he hastened to reassure her, "But I wasn't expecting it."

Haku giggled from her chosen spot to his left, "Neither did we, Naruto-sama, but I can't say I mind it either. Honestly, I do think both Hinata-chan and myself were hoping for it some time down the road. Not sure if it was in Kurenai-san's plans, though."

"Huh," he grunted noncommittally. There was a confession he was somewhat expecting, but he didn't think it would come that quickly. Despite the facade he had put on for years, he knew of Hinata's love for him, and had easily seen Haku's devotion that bordered on zealotry when he woke in that cave. So yes, he certainly saw the confession coming, but it had most likely been hastened by the Council.

Damned busy-bodies.

She smiled and teased, "Very elegantly stated, Naruto-sama."

Naruto sighed, "We still have to go through all of the things we tracked back with us, both from Uzushio and Zabuza's old hide..." he paused for a moment, then shook his head. "Screw it, we'll get to things from Uzushio in a couple days, after Kurenai's had a decent rest. We can do the stuff from the cave tomorrow."

"As you wish, Naruto-sama," Haku said with an odd glint in her eye. "Now that we have a plan, I wonder if you would grant your new wife a small request?"

He eyed her suspiciously. He wasn't sure why, but the look of hers had him wondering if he should try running. So he went with a non-committal, "Perhaps."

She stood and let her kimono fall to the floor, revealing she wasn't wearing anything underneath. "I just thought we could spend the time waiting on dinner in a different way than just sitting here."

His eyes roamed her flawless skin, up from her dainty feet, along lithe and toned legs, the gentle swell of her hips, up past her perky breasts to her lithe arms, her slightly aristocratic neck, and finally to the soft features of her face that complimented the rest of her. He had to admit to himself again that Haku was a stunningly beautiful girl on top of a strong kunoichi, and he was glad she felt strongly enough about him that she would go so far for him. However, he wasn't sure if he was ready for that much intimacy just yet.

Seeing the expression on his face, Haku correctly interpreted his thoughts. "I don't mean sex, Naruto-sama."

"Ah," he cleared his throat, "Then what did you have in mind?"

"This," she straddled his hips, cupped his face with her hands and kissed him deeply. Then she moved her hands to his, and guided them to her body, allowing him to explore her as she lost herself in the kiss. She was a married woman now, and she wanted her new husband to know her completely. Like him, she might not be ready for sex just yet, but there was absolutely no qualm about heavypetting.

All in all, when dinner was finally ready, Naruto found he rather enjoyed himself.

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

Senju Tsunade, Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, stared in stupefied reaction to the report in her hands. She raised incredulous eyes to the clearly tired jonin sitting across the desk, "All of this?"

Her reaction was easily understood as the report in question more closely resembled the rough draft of a rather large book. Kurenai had despaired of managing to write it all out in time, considering just how much there really was. Her rescue came around four hours after midnight in the form of Uzumaki Naruto and a Transcription Seal he devised that allowed her to simply transfer the information onto a scroll. Kurenai had been so ecstatic about the seal she had spent nearly an hour giving him a searing kiss, or several of them.

Kurenai just nodded as firmly as her tired mind and body would allow, "Yes, Hokage-sama. Within that scroll is all of the information Araknos and I managed to retrieve from Shimura Danzo's mind. Secret coffers, his Root Anbu's locations, passwords, secret mission details that he gave to his Root, and everything else we have."

Tsunade nodded, and dropped her eyes to the section she had stopped at. It detailed a small skirmish during the Second Shinobi War, nothing out of the ordinary for the time, but this held special significance to her as it mentioned her departed brother. It seemed that Nawaki had started to show signs of possessing the Mokuton of their grandfather, Senju Hashirama. Danzo had determined that despite the great benefit the bloodline brought to Konoha, that they couldn't divert any resources to protect or train such an outstanding ability, and had his Root quietly ambush Nawaki's returning team.

It was the final nail in the coffin of Shimura Danzo's career. Even if Tsunade had been inclined toward leniency, this one piece of information had wiped the possibility from existence. She decided that the name of Shimura Danzo would become synonymous with being the greatest of traitors, his remaining family would be put under intense scrutiny by Morino Ibiki and Mitarashi Anko, and his estate broken down to pay restitution to those he had wronged in his long and incredibly sordid career.

**XXXXXXXX- Ending Notes -XXXXXXXX**

Current List of Titans

Naruto: Arc, Kunoichi, Hoplite, Megladeath, Lindorm

Hinata: Tao, Shinobi, Hoplite, Undine, Kilthane

Haku: Behemoth, Myrmidon, Hoplite, Triton, Kilthane

Kurenai: Araknos, Medea, Hoplite, Kilthane

Tsunade: Freelancer

Shikamaru: Springer

Chouji: Undergolem

Kakashi: Bulregard

Inuzuka Clan (somewhere): Fenris


	10. Chapter 10

**AN:** I Have discovered an annoying habit to the upload system. It does not recognize that I have underlined things, and thus deletes those underlines. ... This is especially frustrating as I use those underlines a fair amount in this story.

As usual, Thanks go to my pal, Dreaming of the Moon, for his time looking over this.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own either Naruto or Huntik

**Chapter 10: Hi-Ho! Hi-Ho! Shit This Work is Frustrating!**

"Shoot me now..." Naruto groaned as his head hit the desk in front of him. Said piece of furniture holding copious amounts of notes and deductions, all about possible locations containing Titans.

The reason for his depression? Simple: he couldn't make heads or tails of anything! He could puzzle out a few words here and there, but that was mostly because they were similar to the language he already used.

Naruto sighed and leaned back in his chair, his head resting against the tall back. He could always relegate the translation work to Kurenai, but that wasn't something he wanted to do. He wanted to be of more use than as Arc's technical mouthpiece. He wanted to do what_ he_ felt was his fair share.

So, he tried his hand at creating a cipher for the books. The scrolls from Uzushio were written in the current tongue, or at worst the antiquated version, and were fairly simple. The few he had looked through so far were mostly journals of a sort, created by his clansmen as a way to document their own searches for the Titans. Definitely useful, but mostly just details on places that no longer existed, or were in enemy territory.

Even Naruto wasn't willing to just waltz into Tsuchi no Kuni!

Letting out another sigh, he stood up from his seat and wandered out, heading down a hallway that would eventually lead him to his mother's old garden. In the last few days since the council meeting, he had found himself tending the sixteen years of neglected plant life as a way of calming his nerves. And it worked, primarily because his mind and hands were occupied with things that weren't difficult to think about.

Things like how he was a sixteen year old boy with not one, not two, but_ three wives!_

MADNESS!

They had even agreed between themselves on a schedule on who would sleep with him on what day! ... Or so it seemed, as it had been four days, and he'd had one of his new wives in his bed each night. How was he supposed to get any actual sleep with all that naked female flesh pressed against him at night?

-... Really, Naruto?-

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

Haruno Sakura walked the streets of Konoha alone, thinking about her last "conversation" with her former best friend. She couldn't see what went wrong, she had only been telling the truth. Naruto_ was_ the Dobe of their class, and a reviled monster throughout the village, while Sasuke was the Rookie of the Year with the most powerful bloodline in the nations.

And yet... apparently it wasn't enough for Sasuke. He'd deserted Konoha, the place that had been practically built just so he could be born. He'd abandoned Sakura, his most avid possible bride. He'd abandoned everything that Kakashi taught them about teamwork and the need to cherish their comrades.

Sakura blinked as the faintest sound of something breaking went off, and it finally hit her with the force of a tonne of bricks._ She_ had disregarded Naruto in the same way! The blonde had proven time and again that he wasn't the dead last that so many of their teachers had tried to make him, that he wasn't a monster, that he wasn't a No-Name Nobody.

And Konoha? Built for Sasuke's birth? Sakura shook her head, wondering where such a_ STUPID_ idea came from in the first place! It wasn't like her... wait, why had she been such a die-hard fan of the brooding Uchiha? She was supposed to be a ninja, not some insipid and scatterbrained fan girl!

Something wasn't right. Sakura knew it now, but she had no one she could talk to about it. Ever since that talk with Ino, the rest of their class had been avoiding her. Some of them even went so far as to turn and walk in another direction when they caught sight of her.

She was alone.

A small memory surfaced, and Sakura quickly turned around, making a bee-line for the Academy with tears forming in her eyes as more and more memories surfaced. Their first teacher, Umino Iruka, had once told them all that if they needed his help, he'd give it. And she knew, she was in desperate need of help.

Sakura just hoped that even Iruka hadn't thrown in the towel on her.

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

Umino Iruka had seen a fair amount in his days as a ninja, from the much maligned D-ranked mission to catch Tora -how hard could it be to catch a cat?- to pure suicide missions and the loss of comrades. He'd seen even more in his time as an Academy instructor, a position he was probably best for out of pretty much any of the chunin. But what he was seeing now was not something he'd thought he ever would.

Haruno Sakura, avowed Uchiha Fan Girl, crying over_ Naruto?!_

... Yeah, that was his reaction.

Thankfully his last class was let out for the day when she came into the room, so he had plenty of time to wait until she was coherent enough to make sense beyond how she was sorry for something. All he could do until then was what he currently was: patting her on the back somewhat awkwardly.

Hey! He'd never had a student, or former student as the case was, break down on him! He had no real clue what to do! Typically they were like Naruto, who came to him every now and then for words of encouragement, not ..._ THIS!_

Whatever "this" was, it was obviously the source of a great amount of turmoil for the young woman. Well, he_ had_ said that any of his students could come to him when they felt the need, so he continued his current course of therapy: the awkward patting of her back.

Slowly, ever so slowly in Iruka's opinion, Sakura's tears and sobs quieted to the point he could actually make out what she was trying to say.

"I don't know what I was thinking, or why I said all those things, an-and it just doesn't make any sense!" She practically shouted into his vest, "Sure, Naruto was a bit annoying with his constant date requests, but Ino and I were doing the same thing to Sasuke, so why did I hit Naruto every time? Why did I start thinking that the universe revolved around Sasuke? I knew it was all wrong, yet I still did it! And thought nothing more of it! WHY?!"

Iruka was dumbfounded yet again. She really had put a fair bit of thought into her former actions, and he found he had to agree with her line of questions. Sakura had been one of the brightest students to pass through his classroom, so why was it that whenever Sasuke entered the picture, her intelligence flew out the window? There had to be a reason, but Iruka couldn't think of one.

Even the excuse of fangirling didn't really work, because they at least had what they termed as reasons. Even if the excuse usually sounded like, "he's hot" or "he's sooo dark and mysterious" or even, and Iruka shuddered as he remembered this one, "his heart's just too hurt to remember what love is! I'll show him my love, and then we'll get married, and I'll never have to worry about money again!"... He'd been very tempted to flunk that girl right then on principle. She'd failed the exams anyway, but he had been sorely tempted.

Iruka sighed, and carefully disentangled the girl from his chest, sitting her gently in an unoccupied chair. Coincidentally, the other teachers that were supposed to be helping him out at the moment were conspicuous in their absence.

_'Traitors.'_

"Sakura, I don't have the answers to your questions, but your past might." He said seriously, holding her hands to show his support, "Now think back, when did it all start? Naruto told me that you two were friends once. When did that end, Sakura?"

The girl sniffled as she thought back, where did it start? He friendship with Naruto had been short, only a few days really. She remembered telling her family, and then the next day she found Naruto annoying, disgusting even. It hadn't been her mother, who had retired from the ninja life early when it didn't suit her, or when she learned of her pregnancy, Sakura never could remember which. It hadn't been her father, who was still an active-duty Genin.

That's when Sakura remembered she used to have an aunt, her father's sister, who died on a mission when Sakura was about eight years old, coincidentally around the time of the Uchiha Massacre. The woman had supposedly been a specialist in genjutsu that meddled with the personality of the subject. It didn't work well on anyone stronger than her, but on a pre-Academy student? It just might be...

"There was.. I used to have an aunt," Sakura started, her words halting and slow, as though they were foreign, dredged up from the deepest pits of her memory. "Haruno Maki*, she was a chunin-ranked kunoichi... Specialized in genjutsu... Died around the time of the Uchiha Massacre... I can't really remember when... Dad once told me, that she liked to play around with people's personalities a little... Change their reaction toward something slightly... But the stronger her target, the weaker her ability... Maybe it was her? It would have been just prior to entering the Academy...?"

Iruka saw the hurt and betrayed look on Sakura's face. The idea that her own aunt would use such a technique on her was heartbreaking, and unconscionable in many people's minds. It was one of the reasons so many ninja had become wary of Uchiha Shisui when they learned of his Mangekyou Sharingan and it's power to warp another's personality. They didn't want him to start using it on them.

Iruka shook his head slightly, and clasped Sakura's shaking hands a little harder. "I don't know, Sakura. But it seems to me you have two choices in front you; First, go to Naruto and apologize, then try and start a new friendship with him. I wouldn't suggest following the same route those other women have taken, and become his servant, if only because I doubt he'd accept. Second, ignore what's happened today, and continue on as if nothing has changed."

"But everything's changed!" Sakura protested.

"I know, Sakura, but it's still an option." He replied gently.

"Not really, Sensei." She said wryly. She was feeling a great deal better having been able to talk about it all with someone.

He smiled a little. There was the young spitfire he knew as his student.

Sakura stood up, and gave her old teacher a hug, "Thank you for your help, Sensei."

Iruka returned the hug a little awkwardly, "Well, I did offer to help, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did, and you have no idea how thankful I am that you hadn't given up on me." She smiled at him.

"Never," He replied, as he released her. "You going to be okay now?"

Sakura slid a little away, "Yeah, I think so."

She darted back in quickly, laid a peck on his cheek, and was out the door of the room before he knew what happened, a quiet "Thanks, Sensei" floating behind in her wake.

Iruka stood there for several minutes, trying to figure out what just happened. Eventually he shrugged, and left the room as well. He felt the need for a drink.

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

Mitarashi Anko was a Tokubetsu Jonin, often referred to as a "Tokujo" for short, she was one of the best interrogators in Konoha's T&amp;I -Torture and Interrogation-, and she had been the one-time apprentice to Orochimaru, one of Konoha's greatest traitors. It was safe to assume she had seen a fair bit in her lifetime. What she had never seen, though, was a certain Academy teacher get shit-faced drunk before.

So when she entered her favorite pub, the sight of one Umino Iruka sitting at the bar surrounded by several empty saké bottles was not something she ever expected. From what she could see from her place at the door, he had probably been there a while, if the fifteen-or-so bottles were any indication. He was even resting his forehead on his arms on the counter, as though he was trying to make sense of something despite the level of booze that must be in his system.

Well, she had also sought him out, but that sight drove the thought from her head momentarily.

She sidled up to a stool near him, making a discreet sign to the barkeep to get her a bottle of her own. "So what brings such a straight-lace here?"

Iruka's face lifted off his arms to look at her, surprising her with how sober he seemed. "I had to deal with a fan girl who broke free of her former tendencies, and had an emotional breakdown on me. What about you?"

She grinned at his sarcastic tone. "Oh, the usual. Tortured a few people, got some secrets," She replied, tossing back a quick sip. She eyed him with interest, "You know, most people would be somewhere between shit-faced and unconscious with that much alcohol."

Iruka snorted, "Unfortunately my family has a naturally high tolerance for it. Not out-right immunity, but high enough that it would take at least another five bottles to get me buzzed."

"Hoh?" She seemed a little interested, and in truth she was, but she also had her other reason for talking to him. "Well, that aside, I heard you were Uzumaki's teacher, and was curious about him. My best friend swore herself to him, and I'm just wondering what kind of person she's set herself up with."

"Naruto?" Iruka asked, "Well, if you pick up the tab for the next few drinks, I'll see what I remember."

That little discussion would lead to a very interesting night, and an even more interesting morning for them.

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

Naruto shuddered as he lay in his bed, Haku naked and snuggling into his side. He felt as though an extreme disturbance in the natural order had just occurred, and_ he hadn't caused it!_

... Really, Naruto?

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

Speaking of mornings... Iruka woke the next day, glad of two things: First, that it was a weekend, so there was no reason for him to be at the academy. Good thing, too, as it was almost noon. The second thing he was glad for was that his apartment faced north, and his balcony and windows were always in shadow, so he didn't have to deal with the sun after a drinking binge.

Ever.

Not that he did many of said binges. Which was why they were called such. They were spontaneous and usually resulted in little more than an intense urge to empty his gullet, and then pass out for several hours. His last one had been shortly before Naruto took his final graduation exam...

But today there was something different. An unusually warm and human-shaped object was next to him, holding on to him, with it's head resting on his chest.. So he slowly cracked open one eye, looked down a little, and got an eyeful of dark purple hair.

Both eyes were wide open now, and taking the sight of a completely naked Mitarashi Anko using him as a human hug-pillow, her surprisingly soft-yet-firm breasts pressed into his side. His eyes continued to travel down her flawless skin, past the swell of her hips, down her long and toned legs, which were only partially concealed by his thin sheet, his head rising to allow them to drink in this glorious sight.

Iruka's breathing started getting faster, even as his heart started to race. This was new, he'd never gone on a binge and woken with a woman before. Just how much did he_ have_?!

Anko shift slightly in her sleep, and his eyes traced up to her shoulder, and the Curse Mark that sat there, taunting everyone who tried to remove it. But it was different than what he remembered hearing about. Wasn't it supposed to be three circling black tomoe? A "Seal of Heaven" as it was called?

Then why was it now red... and of_ his family crest?!_

He put his head back down on his pillow, and closed his eyes. He was seeing things. Yup. That was it. He would wake up, and Anko wouldn't be in his bed with him, and the seal on her wouldn't be changed to that of his family crest.

... Good luck Iruka. She's waking up...

"Hmm?" Anko's groggy voice penetrated Iruka's attempt at denying reality.

"Um... Goodmorning?" he squeaked quickly, his eyes once again wide open, but focused on her face. He didn't want to die!

"Mm, a very good morning," She purred teasingly in response. "An even better night yesterday. Who knew the mousey school teacher was such a beast in the sheets?"

"Um... thank you?" Not really sure if that could be construed as a compliment as this was the first time he'd woken up with a woman after getting drunk.

"Mm, you seem nervous, Iruka-kun," Anko leaned up on her elbow to look down at him. "After last night, I wouldn't have thought you could still be nervous around me."

Iruka sighed, "Well, I'll admit I did enjoy our activities last night, and I'm definitely enjoying the view this morning. Though I'm surprised we didn't get any noise complaints."

She smirked, "We might have, but I'm pretty sure no one wanted to interrupt our fun. After all, listening in can be fun too, right?"

"I wouldn't know," He confessed, "I've never listened in."

Anko pouted, and it made him want to kiss her silly. "Spoilsport."

He just chuckled, reflecting quietly that it felt natural to have her with him. Looking up at her, he saw her expression change from a pout to one of curiosity. "Something wrong?"

She shook her head slightly, "Not wrong, but... have you always had that tattoo?"

"Hm?" He didn't know of any tattoo...

"Well, it's just there's this mark that looks kinda like a face-mask with curling horns on your left shoulder," Anko said as she reached out to touch his upper bicep.*

"Oh, this?" He looked down, seeing a mark that seemed to be glowing with a white light. He was almost certain it was his imagination, "That's been with me for a while, ever since I almost drowned as a kid. It's not a seal, but no one really knows what it is either. Something of my own personal mystery, but it's not normally this visible..."

"Really? What, like, it turns invisible or something?" She sounded skeptical, and Iruka honestly couldn't blame her.

"Nah, but is it just me, or does it seem to be glowing?" He asked.

"Well, I don't think it's you, Iruka-kun."

"I was afraid you'd say that," He sighed. This was going to be a long day, he just knew it.

He hadn't even noticed that Anko had left the bed until he heard a surprised cry from his bathroom. A moment later and Anko rushed back out, and kissed him heavily, straddling his still laying body as she seemed determined to wrest every last ounce of oxygen from his lungs. It was a heady feeling, and one Iruka found himself reciprocating, his hands coming up to grab the back of her shoulders and pulled her in deeper, if that was possible. Finally they broke for air.

"Not that I'm complaining about an absurdly hot woman trying to kiss me to death," Iruka gasped out as he fought for breath, "But what brought that on?"

"Mm," Anko moaned as she snuggled into him, "I don't know how, but that damned Curse Mark is gone, replaced with something else. It looks like sea waves, and considering your family name, I figured it was something you'd done."

"Eh-heh, well, that is certainly my family's crest," He replied a little nervously, rushing to explain what little he knew. "But, I don't know how it replaced your seal any more than you do."

"Hm, and at the moment I don't care," She mumbled contentedly. "I just wanna lay here and bask in the knowledge that the bastard's hold on me is gone."

Iruka chuckled, and breathed lightly on the woman's neck, "Just lay here? Oh, and here I thought maybe you'd be up for round two."

Anko lifted herself up and kissed him again, "Round two? I'm up for rounds three through ten as well, if it's for you."

He chuckled again, rolling them over so he was on top. "Well, let's see just how many we can get through, eh? Then I think we should try and find that former student of mine. Something tells me this is right up his alley."

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

Naruto sat at his dining table, watching the hypnotic sway of Hinata's hips, which set her short maid skirt twitching as she made breakfast. He had no idea where she found the incredibly short and enticing outfit, but he wasn't going to complain. It was a nice view, and not overly sexual, just_ very_ stimulating.

In front of him on the table lay open a small map of a region inside Kaminari no Kuni's borders, not too far from where Kumogakure was supposed to be situated. Due to that very factor, the map wasn't as detailed as he'd have liked, but it was all he had to work with. Another Titan was likely to be sleeping in that valley, and he was determined to see if he could figure out where it was exactly.

He was not having much luck. He'd narrowed the location down to the valley in question... and got nothing else. There were only general areas of interest noted on the map, nothing specific enough to find something even moderately well-hidden. So in order to find the exact location, he'd actually have to physically go to the valley and search it.

Not really an option, considering the tense standoff Konoha had with Kumo ever since the attempted kidnapping of Hinata when she was three. That had been a clusterfuck of annoyingly epic proportions, and Hinata was blamed for being unable to protect herself... against a Kami-damned_ Jonin?!_ Honestly, Naruto thought the entire debacle was simply retarded.

He sighed and put the map aside as Hinata started to dish out breakfast for everyone, Haku and Kurenai having joined him at the table while he was staring at Hinata's ass.

"Well, this study's a bust," He groused, waiting for Hinata to take her seat.

"What do you mean, Naruto-sama?" Haku asked. She still hadn't gotten out of calling him "sama", despite being recognized as one of his legal wives.

Actually, neither had Kurenai. Maybe he shouldn't look too deep into that...

"I mean that there's little point to trying any further study on this particular Titan's resting place, as it's inside Kumo's area of immediacy, fairly close to the village itself if this is correct." He paused for a moment to take a bite of his meal, "I don't know about you three, but I don't like the idea of walking into semi-hostile territory."

"Hm, I see your point," Kurenai conceded.

"Couldn't we make an official request to Kumo to do a study of that valley, or something?" Haku asked.

"That might have worked thirteen years ago, before the standoff that came about after their attempt to kidnap Hinata," Naruto admitted candidly.

"Oh, right," The ice-wielder had the grace to blush in embarrassment.

"It's alright, Haku-chan," Hinata said softly, "It was a long time ago, after all. Even I forget about it from time to time."

_'BULLSHIT!'_ The other three at the table thought in unison.

"I think I'll just look into another old legend and see if it matches with a Titan," Naruto stated, finishing his breakfast and picking up his dishes to clean them. Hey, as long he kept them up, it would lessen any potential mess later.

"Naruto-sama, I've been meaning to ask, but have you finished changing up those plans your parents left behind for your family compound?" Kurenai asked, "I'm only bringing it up because I think if we get too much more information from either Uzushio or that cave in Nami, we'll run out of room in the current library."

"Eh?" Naruto snapped out of his thoughts about possible Titans, "Ah, yeah. Those are in the library at the moment, should be sitting out on the main table. I finished them last night when I took a small break from attempting to triangulate the location of that valley. It wasn't really difficult, as I only had to cut off a few levels, and shirk down the proportions for most of the other things."

"Then should we get in touch with that Tazuna fellow you mentioned?" She asked.

Naruto shrugged, "I guess. We've still got at least three days of mandatory leave, so we can at least get word out to him. Maybe make Nami's cave our first destination, then play escort for him."

"Sounds like a good idea, Naruto-sama," Kurenai replied with an approving smile.

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

Tsunade blinked at the man standing across her office from her. He was rather tall, had dark skin, and carried seven swords on his back. He was dressed in Kumogakure Jonin attire, dark pants and white one-shoulder flack vest, and a pair of sunglasses.

He had given his name as "Killer Bee", which she highly doubted was real, and had just handed her a scroll signed by his Raikage. The new Fourth Raikage, named "A", which was annoying as the previous three Raikage had the same damn name, apparently wanted to open friendlier relations with Konoha. To make sure she even entertained such a notion, he had sent another sealed scroll along with Killer Bee.

This other one contained something she was certain they would never see: the unmutilated, and oddly un-researched body of Hyuuga Hizashi. She was still waiting on Shizune's return with confirmation that Kumo really hadn't done any kind of research on the body. If it was true... well, the Hyuuga clan would be a great deal easier to live with.

"Bee-san, no, I'm_ not_ going to call you by the full name," She deadpanned at him when he was about to say something. Seeing him deflate only meant that she was correct in her guess of what he was going to say. Besides, he rapped everything, and badly. "As I was saying, this is highly unusual. Kumo is a very militaristic village, more so than any of the others, even Iwa. And trust me, that's saying something. So you'll forgive my incredulity of the situation."

The man nodded. "Of course, I am the source!"

_'Ugh, I can't believe I'm thinking this, but I'd actually rather deal with Gai and his "Flames of Youth" right now...'_

She rubbed her temples. This was even worse than the reports of when Naruto had been on a sugar high as a child. No one knew how he got so much sugar, or how he wasn't dead from it all, let alone how he still had his teeth after eating what amounted to nearly thirty kilos in that one sitting, but Anbu had been about to quit en mass!

Thankfully for Tsunade's continued sanity, Shizune returned at that moment. "Well? What are the results?"

The younger woman beamed, "They're positive. No tampering of any variety was done to the corpse. His body is as it was when it left Konoha all those years ago."

Tsunade blinked. She honestly hadn't expected that. "How the heck did that happen?"

"Yo, yo, yo! Bro's only been in office for a few years, but now them Hyuuga can stop shedding tears!" Bee rapped, managing to answer the question and get his favorite pastime in.

"I... see," Tsunade wasn't really sure what to say to that.

"He means that Raikage-sama has only been in office for a short time, and the order from the Third was backlogged until recently. When the Fourth finally came across it, he felt it would be a good way to help get tensions to drop," A blonde and busty young woman explained.

Tsunade looked a little more carefully at her. She hadn't seen anyone nearly as stacked as this young woman since herself at that age. Grey blouse, grey shirt, modified flack vest that only really protected her abdomen because there was no way to keep those melons the girl called breasts from flopping around without painful restriction. Samui was apparently once a student of Bee, and had supposedly volunteered for this diplomatic mission with him.

"Well, it looks as though he might just be right." Shizune mused quietly. She had taken up her accustomed place at Tsunade's right elbow, and was now going over the full report. "According to this, the body had only just been delivered, unsealed maybe once to verify that it was a Hyuuga, then probably sealed again for later study. They might not have been able to gain any insight into the Byakugan, but they might have got something on the Juuken."

Samui nodded her head stoically. She knew the implications, just as well as any other Kumo-born ninja would. Her village's leader had masterminded a plot to get their hands on the elusive and highly-guarded Byakugan, and now they were just handing the body back without having done anything. The man was probably spinning in his grave... Oh well.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes, "So what else did he want? I know there's more to it than what was written in this scroll."

Samui shifted uncomfortably and Bee just grinned. "Yo, yo, yo! You's right on the ball! Can't get nothin' past you at all!"

"What he means to say," Samui replied cooly, "Is that Raikage-sama was thinking some Konoha assistance on a new development would be a good idea. Lately there have been rumblings of local earthquakes, and some of our mining towns have sent reports of recently discovered ancient-looking places deep within their mountains. There have been a few other places making such discoveries, and Kumo doesn't have much in the way of scholars, so our reactions are limited by necessity."

Tsunade blinked. Rubbed the bridge of her nose, then reached into a drawer and pulled out a saké bottle. She took a swig, and then made a tired face, "Just what kind of actions_ has_ your Raikage taken?"

Samui shrugged, "Nothing more than putting a few Genin teams in place to watch over some of the more accident-prone ones. Like I said, we have limited resources in the area of scholars, whether they are of the archeology kind or otherwise."

"In other words, your village focused on strength, and only just now realized that they should probably have some brains, too?" Tsunade said jokingly.

"Pretty much," The two Kumo shinobi said in tandem.

The two women behind the desk just deadpanned stares at them. They admitted it. Without shame. It was Jiraiya and his "Super Pervert" thing all over again.

With a sigh Tsunade said, "I don't suppose you have more to go on than vague stories of ancient ruins and earthquakes?"

Samui and Bee looked at each other, then back to her. They both held up some kind of pendant, neither one the same. "These were found at two of the sights of those localized quakes. No one in Kumo has any clue what they are, or how old, let alone if they're worth anything."

Tsunade stared at items, glanced down to the one that now sat around her own neck, then back to ones in her guests' hands. She licked her lips, finding them suddenly dry. "I think we might have a good idea then, but the one who would know best is on mandatory medical leave for another few days. Until he's cleared for duty, I can have you two set up with lodgings in the village. Would that be satisfactory?"

Samui's eyes narrowed, "You think you might have an answer about it? Isn't that convenient? Just who is this supposed expert, and why would he have any idea what's going on? Is he the cause, perhaps?"

"His name is Uzumaki Naruto." Tsunade stated, "He's our resident expert on the strange and unusual. He recently came into possession of several items such as what you just showed me. But he was injured severely on a mission a few weeks ago, and only just managed to return to Konoha a couple days ago. That's all I'm willing to divulge at this time. I will, however, set up an appointment for you to meet him."

Raising an arm to cut Samui off before she could try and press for more information, Bee nodded. "Playing your cards close to your chest, is often the choice suited best." He nodded again, "We'll take the lodgings, Hokage-sama."

Shizune let out a silent sigh of relief. Now they just had to get Naruto's opinion, and hope the answer he might be able to give them wouldn't kick off another war.

It wasn't until she was leading the two Kumo ninja away from the Hokage Tower that she realized that the man's last words hadn't rhymed...

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

Yamanaka Ino looked up from the counter of her family's flower shop as the bell above the door rang, indicating someone's presence. In an instant she saw the bright pink hair of her former best friend, and was about to lay into the girl with a blistering comment, when she noticed something different about her. It wouldn't be readily noticeable by anyone who didn't know Sakura very well, but...

"Hey, Ino. I think... I think we need to talk."

... But Haruno Sakura seemed extremely nervous, and was managing to hide it behind a rather good emotional mask.

Ino took a deep breath, and closed her eyes for a moment. Releasing her pent up air, Ino's eyes opened again, focused intently on Sakura's. "Yeah, I think so, too."

Ino quickly moved around the shop, turning the sign around to face "CLOSED" out the window, and then led Sakura into the kitchen at the back of the building. If they were going to have a long discussion, they would undoubtedly need something to drink.

**XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX**

Naruto was once again hard at work deciphering an old legend, seated behind his desk in his office. He would have used the library, but Kurenai was in there, and had told him that she needed the space for her own work in translating the books they had brought back. Naruto would have gladly assisted her, but he still couldn't read anything of the language those things were written in.

A knock at the door captured his attention. "Naruto-sama, Hyuuga Hiashi is here. He wishes to see you," Haku called softly.

Naruto frowned slightly, then shook his head. Hiashi hadn't been behind the plan to kill Hinata, and had been one of the first to recognize Naruto's claim to his parent's names, so he could at least givethe man some of his time.

"Very well," Naruto called back, "Let him in, Haku. And bring us some tea, if you would."

The door opened to admit the Hyuuga Clan Head, and Haku gave a small bow. "Of course, Naruto-sama."

Naruto waved at a chair across from him, "Hiashi-san, welcome. Please, be seated. I'm afraid we're not much for formal approaches here. Though I am curious as to how you found this place."

Hiashi took the offered seat with dignity, "Not at all, Naruto-san. I was well acquainted with your mother through my late wife. Kushina had the same distaste for formality that I'm certain you have. As to how I located this house, it is simple really. My wife's journals made mention of a hidden grotto with a house behind the waterfall in that old Training Ground. That is not why I am here, however."

Naruto nodded slightly, his expression only faintly amused. "So I would assume. What say we dispense with the niceties and get straight to the point?"

"Very well," Hiashi paused to take a scroll from within his robes. "This is my official signature recognizing you as Hinata's Lord and Husband. I know it is not something you actually require, but it will make things go smoother within the Clan if you at least accept it. I took the liberty of writing it up personally, and all that is in there is that I have accepted your right to take her as your wife."

Naruto took the scroll and opened it, speeding through. His search found exactly what Hiashi said was there: his formal written approval. No hidden clauses, no out's. There was something that made Naruto's eyes widen, though.

His eyes flew up and latched onto Hiashi's in shocked and silent question. The man simply nodded. Naruto wasn't misreading it.

Haku arrived at that moment with a tray of tea. She quickly set out cups for the two men, "Anything else, Naruto-sama?"

Naruto shook his head slightly to clear it. "Ah, no, Haku-chan. That will be all. Thank you."

He waited for her to close the door before letting loose a breath he wasn't aware he was holding. "Hiashi-san... Are you quite certain about this?"

The older man nodded. "I am. I have inadvertently caused my elder daughter much pain and sorrow over the years. Consider this one of the first steps to my making amends."

Naruto just shook his head, but not in denial. "You're making amends by getting rid of the Caged Bird Seal as a kind of official wedding gift? That is quite the gift, Hiashi-san. I am certain that Hinata will appreciate the sentiment, but you were already going to get rid of the seal. How does this make it any easier?"

"You are aware, of course, that the Hyuuga are ruled largely by tradition," Hiashi began, and continued at Naruto's cautious nod. "Those same traditions would otherwise make the removal of theseal something to be fought against, but if I use it as an official wedding present..."

"... You can bypass all those traditions because as a 'gift' it falls under the Clan's honor code to see it done," Naruto finished for him.

"Exactly," Hiashi said with an air of satisfaction.

Naruto just nodded and glanced back at the scroll before almost doing a spit-take. After several moments lost in sputtering and attempting to retrieve his breath, Naruto was finally able to once again meet his counterpart's gaze. "Hiashi, I understand the wedding gift, but what is with this obscene amount of money?"

Hiashi smirked, "Hinata's dowry, of course. She was the Heiress, after all. Her dowry would have to be suitably sized."

Naruto just stared at him. "You are going to give up more than one-hundred million ryo as Hinata's dowry because you believe it_ suitable_?!"

"Well, the dowry is for her after all. It's not like I'm asking you to pay a bride-price. Though by all rights I could," Hiashi said calmly, sipping from his tea.

Naruto blinked. "Bride-price?"

"Yes," Hiashi nodded. "A bride-price is usually paid by the groom, or the groom's family, to the family of the bride. A sort of 'I'm giving you this, so I can have her,' deal. It's not always money, or even most of the time. Quite often it's land, or something else of value that supposedly compensates the bride's family for the loss of her labor and fertility."

"Right, I'm going to stop looking the gift-horse in the mouth now."

"Solid plan."

**XXXXXXXX- Omake -XXXXXXXX**

"Hey, Naruto-kun," Hinata asked while they were cleaning the study for use. "I haven't heard your 'dattebayo' for a while now. Why is that?"

"That's very simple, Hinata-chan," He replied with one finger lifted in the air, "It was merely another part of my idiot mask. I've never had a verbal tic."

She pouted, giving the full force of the ever so infamous** Koinu no me no Jutsu (Puppy Dog Eyes)**. "I always thought it was cute."

He started sputtering, his face flushing red with embarrassment. "What, 'tebayo?"

... She gave him a victorious smirk.

"Shit!"

**XXXXXXXX- Ending Notes -XXXXXXXX**

*Haruno Maki: doesn't actually exist. She's an OC for the purpose of this chapter.

*Look up Sorcerel's summon crest.


End file.
